My Demon Child
by kim the writer
Summary: Lily returned to the wizarding world after two years, wanting everything to be happy again. But now she's living with James Potter, engaged to Amos Diggory, and pregnant with a certain bad guy...not as dirty as it sounds.
1. Saving Lily Evans

Disclaimer: Everything-the characters, setting, spells, and everything else you recognize-is the work of the talented J. K. Rowling. I own nothing but the plot!  
  
Author's Note: Well, this is just the first chapter so the plot isn't 100% written out for you, but just introduced. And remember, I am not perfect- so if you flame me, give constructive criticism.  
  
My Demon Child  
Chapter One: Saving Lily Evans  
  
"Stop! Stop it!" Lily cried out as she watched the strange muggle man wail out in pain. He was twitching on the floor for over a minute, courtesy to the Cruciatus curse. Lily turned to the laughing man in his black cloak. She pointed at him and shrieked, "Stop it! Now! Please-oh have mercy-have mercy for me! The person who determines if you have a child or not!"  
  
At that, he stopped. He put his wand down, and the muggle man remained there, his eyes wide open as he fainted, already on the floor.  
  
"Too right I'll get a child from you, Lily," he said coldly. "And if I don't, I'll make sure all of Europe is covered with twitching, tortured muggles and mudbloods."  
  
"Such as myself?" she snapped.  
  
The robed man flared and pointed his wand again at the muggle.  
  
"NO!" Lily cried. "I'm sorry-I'm just tired-I really am-have mercy my Lord, have mercy."  
  
The robed man nodded and looked at other people in their black robes.  
  
"You can take the filth outside now. I have no use for him," he sneered.  
  
"Put him outside a hospital," Lily added, tears almost in her eyes.  
  
The robed man looked at her disgustingly and muttered, "You always had a soft spot for the most stupidest things."  
  
The man took off his hood to reveal black hair, piercing gold eyes, snake like slits for his eyes-and a glare that was so cold, it was no wonder that the only way he had followers was by all his power and threats. There were bags under his eyes-it was no easy job hiding from the Ministry of Magic when you were #1 on their wanted list.  
  
"Come, Lily, let's get out of here," he said, as he headed to walk out of the room made of stone. Lily nodded and struggled to keep up with his quick strides.  
  
Outside, in a corridor, he led her to his headquarters.  
  
"Why do you always take muggles and torture them?" Lily cried.  
  
"If I can't torture you," he breathed, "I'll torture them-and I'm sure that tortures you just as well."  
  
Lily gulped and wiped away a couple of tears that fell from her emerald green eyes, occasionally her red locks hiding her tired face.  
  
"But I don't understand-have you no compassion-"  
  
"Oh shut up already," he groaned. "You have no idea how many times I have wanted these past years to just kill you myself."  
  
They walked down a couple more corridors and down many staircases until Lily was tired. This abandoned castle was so big, it would probably take half an hour to walk across it. After two years of staying here, Lily still always got lost. The only room where she knew how to navigate by heart was her room and his headquarters-Voldemort's headquarters.  
  
They began to walk down a staircase again as if they were going to the basement. They met a door guarded by four death eaters.  
  
"Move," he told all of them, and immediately they jumped away so he could reach the door. He hissed some kind of word in parsletongue, and the door opened. They both walked in, and Lily nervously took a seat as the door closed.  
  
For being the "office" of the most dark wizard of all time, it was quiet plain. It was made entirely of stone with snake engravings on the walls. It was quiet small, Lily's room was bigger. There was a big stone desk, dark objects everywhere, and muggle, bloody daggars protruding from here and there so you would have to watch where you were walking.  
  
Whenever Voldemort told Lily to go to that room, or she was summoned, or when she had to go for her daily talk, she never knew what they were going to discuss or what they were going to do. Today was no different.  
  
Voldemort stood in front of his desk and peered at Lily. He twirled his wand about his fingers and looked tired-but yet irritated.  
  
"Lily dear," he said casually, "I've heard some interesting news."  
  
"Yes, my Lord?"  
  
"Well, you're a mudblood and probably still an auror at heart-no doubt about that. You're very stubborn too. You'll just have to watch out-that stubbornness may just kill you one day," he chuckled, as if this was a wonderful though to his head. But he continued, "And despite the fact that I hate you but have tried to get an heir out of you for the past two years and have been quite nice to you-you're still betraying me."  
  
"Huh?" Lily cocked an eyebrow. She instantly wished she could take that back-she did think that Voldemort worded all that weirdly, but if he got wind that she thought he was the biggest bloke in the history of time, he would kill her without thinking about the prospect of a powerful heir.  
  
However, he just breathed in and out.  
  
"You've been spotted," he said dryly and bluntly, "by many of my supporters. And do you know what they said you were doing?"  
  
"No, my Lord," she said sweetly. "They said-that you-you've been," he breathed deeply, "you have been- killing-our child in you when you ever find out that you're pregnant. Is this true?" He looked disgusted, but continued to interrogate her.  
  
Lily stood up abruptly, looking absolutely horrified-she was always good at lying.  
  
"Me? Kill? After two years you'd think that you'd know me better because I-I, of all people would never kill a child. Demon fetus or not! I wouldn't do abortion-that-I would never-"  
  
Voldemort put his hand up, signaling for her to stop talking.  
  
"I'll give you a truth potion later. I'm tired. MALFOY!" he shouted. Voldemort said another word in parseltongue, and the doors opened to reveal another death eater-who must have been Lucius Malfoy.  
  
"Yes, my Lord?" he asked humbly.  
  
Voldemort rubbed his eyes and said, "Go take this woman-I'm tired."  
  
Malfoy bowed and led a disgusted Lily out of the room.  
  
"Such a pity," Severus Snape sneered at Amos Diggory, his head in his hands in the office of Albus Dumbledore, waiting for the arrival of the headmaster himself. "Doesn't today mark Evans's two year anniversary of being-gone? Dear me, she was such a good contribution to the wizarding world." There was sarcasm everywhere in his voice.  
  
Amos looked up at him-and instead of looking angry-he looked like a light bulb had just turned on in his head.  
  
"You know, Snape, I've thought about nothing except for Lily in ages. And it's killing me," he said through gritted words. "Keep your mouth shut-I'm doing some thinking."  
  
Diggory did look distressed. His hair wasn't all neat and combed but messy. He had bags under his eyes, making it seem that he hadn't slept in days. His clothes were all wrinkled and quiet tattered.  
  
Snape however, looked all nimsy wimsy. His greasy, black hair shown ever so brightly-unfortunately. He was dressed in all black robes as usual, and his sneer was plastered on his sallow skin. His eyes were livid with a mixture between happiness and excitement.  
  
The door opened, but it wasn't Professor Dumbledore. It James Potter with his messy black hair, chocolate eyes, black glasses, and a tired face-being an auror was no easy job.  
  
"Oh good," he sighed. "I'm not late. Hold on-only you two are here?"  
  
"Yes, Potter, now be quiet-Diggory here is doing some thinking," he sneered.  
  
James shook his head and sat next to Diggory.  
  
"You okay?" he asked.  
  
Diggory ignored him and continued to think. It looked as if his head was going to explode; his face was red, and his hands kept on scratching his head. It looked like he was going to cry-but guys never cry.  
  
James sat back in his chair and sighed. He thought to himself-If it were me in his position I would be tearing my heart out-then again, I was in his position before. And I did just fine.  
  
But this was different. Before when Lily left him-she only left their relationship of being a girlfriend. In this case, Lily was kidnapped. And Amos Diggory wasn't just her boyfriend, but her Husband-to-be. Or was, before she was kidnapped by the death eaters.  
  
All of a sudden, Snape gasped. He clutched his arm in pain and went down on his knees and it seemed as if he were suffocating.  
  
"Snape!" James yelled, although he wasn't in the best mood to try to save him. "What-what are you doing?"  
  
Snape looked as though the pain had stopped, and he shook his head a little. He stood up again and rubbed the upper part of his arm.  
  
James just sighed and sat down on his chair again. He wiped his brow and said, "Right, probably you're little dark mark thing. You're a death eater."  
  
"Shut up Potter," he snarled while panting with pain. "You know perfectly well that I'm on the good side. I've been trying to ignore all Voldemort's calls-but it hurts when I do."  
  
All through this, Diggory remained quiet, head in hands.  
  
The door opened, and Dumbledore himself strided in. He nodded at the three men and took his own seat. The twinkle in his eyes were there but faint. He shuffled some papers and cleared his throat.  
  
"I'm so glad that all three of you were able to make it," he grinned. "Severus, here, has presented me with some wonderful news. I think it will make you very happy Mr. Diggory. Well, after Severus told me everything, a plan has been brewing in my mind. I may be old, but my mind is as clever as ever. Now, Severus, why don't you tell Mr. Diggory and Potter here what you have witnessed?"  
  
However, Snape looked disgusted. As if he were a small child, he complained, "Aww, Professor, do I have to?"  
  
"Certainly," Dumbledore said with a smile and the twinkle in his eyes grew.  
  
Snape folded his arms and muttered, "Fine.Well, I joined the death eater clan in seventh year. It was last month when my two years of being the rookie were over. Well, of course I had already joined the good side three months ago and has been playing this easy job of double agent." He expressed the word "easy" in his sarcastic voice. He scratched his head as if he were thinking and continued. "I was stationed in Voldemort's headquarters. All the death eaters rotate jobs there, and I had switched jobs with a guard of a certain witch. A certain muggleborn witch."  
  
At that, Amos Diggory looked up, and shock was on his face. He had a hunch of who this witch was, but.could it be true? It has been two years and no one has seen Lily Evans.she was a witch.a muggleborn witch.could it be her?  
  
"Lily Evans is still alive," Snape said in a dry voice as if it didn't matter.  
  
"What?" James gasped. "Are you serious-but no one has seen her-are you sure?"  
  
"Believe me, Potter," started Snape. "I am sure. Every death eater stationed in the headquarters known about her story well. I've just learned it two weeks ago."  
  
"Excellent news, isn't it gentlemen?" Dumbledore asked. "But anyway, continue Severus."  
  
He took a deep breath and went on.  
  
"Two years ago Voldemort's Seer predicted that Evans would have a very powerful child. Well, he didn't want the child to be good-it could threaten his powers, you see? So, he captured her during a death eater raid. Ever since, for two years, he's been."  
  
Amos's eyes widened. He jumped out of his chair.  
  
"NO!" he exclaimed. "For two years they've just been..he's just been."  
  
"Yup, Diggory. All he's been doing is trying to get an heir from her," he said.  
  
"Lily.my Lily.no, just Lily," he whispered. "No! Oh, this must have been so horrible for her!"  
  
"It would be for me if I were her," Snape said, and folded his arms.  
  
"Hasn't she been traumatized at all?" Amos wondered aloud.  
  
"That's what I would think," Snape sighed. "But I'm guessing spells are being put on her to make sure she's normal and healthy."  
  
"But, Dumbledore-we're going to rescue her, right? I mean, we're not just going to let her stay there and-"  
  
Dumbledore then became very serious.  
  
"Severus, your connections with Lily's whereabouts are very useful in this. We must rescue her. So, I have selected you three because I believe that you three are the most capable people of trying to rescue Lily. Severus, you will have James and Amos disguised as death eaters. I will use a charm to put the dark mark onto both of your arms, but it will not be real. It will be just a tattoo that can easily wash off. You three will sneak into Lily's rooms and disguise her as a death eater. With any luck, Lily will be among our presence this time next week!" he said cheerily.  
  
The three young men gaped at him. Sure, it sounded easy-but doing the actual rescuing would take a lot of luck.  
  
The next morning, Lily could be seen pacing up and down her room. It wasn't all that bad actually. It was one of the few rooms that wasn't made of stone, and it actually had a window-fresh air was wonderful to breathe. Of course though, it had charms that she wouldn't be able to escape. Her bed always had the same blue sheets and blankets, but at least she had a bed. There was a desk, a closet, and all the other furniture that didn't make her room seem like a prison cell-because it was. She also had a bathroom, but the only purpose for this room was to check to see if she was pregnant or not.  
  
That morning, Voldemort ordered her to check to see for any signs of pregnancy.  
  
As usual, it read negative.  
  
She threw the test away and slumped onto her bed. She was sick of this place. All she ever did was.well.she didn't like to think about it.  
  
The door knocked. She suspected it was another badgering. She thought, they're going probably going to give me another test. I can't just pee at will!  
  
She opened the door, and to her surprise there were three death eaters, and she was even more shocked when they just walked in her room. Invasion of privacy!  
  
"You know, I am being kept here not under my free will! You could just at least let me have my privacy!"  
  
But she cut off because one of the death eaters closed the door and locked it. At that, all three of the death eaters and put their hoods off.  
  
"No-oh my goodness-yes! Amos!"  
  
There stood Severus Snape, James Potter, and of course-Amos Diggory.  
  
Lily was completely dumbfounded. Two years of never seeing the man of her dreams, and he just appeared.but she didn't care, for two lonely years she had dreamed of him, wanting to be in his arms again, and if it were to happen today it didn't matter.  
  
Lily rain into his arms, and they embraced.  
  
"It's been too long," Lily cried. "It's been horrible here."  
  
"We have no time to talk Evans, we don't have much time," Snape said.  
  
James took out extra robes under his cloak and handed them to Lily.  
  
"We're sneaking you out, we'll explain everything later," James hissed. Lily nodded to show she understood and went into her bathroom. As quick as she could, she changed. She ran out of the bathroom, tripping over her trash can. Everything spilled out of it, including her pregnancy test but she couldn't be bothered with that.  
  
James pulled up her sleeve and said the charm Dumbledore said to put a fake dark mark on her arm, jus to be safe. He stuck his wand back in his robes, and they all put their hoods on.  
  
"Okay," Snape said quickly. "We're going to go out and pretend that we were all called by Voldemort to go and start a death eater raid in Scotland. Evans, if anyone asks-you're Mary Dawson. Then again, if Mary Dawson talks to us, you're Analise Crompton. When we reach the fireplace, we'll be able to get to Hogwarts. But we have to move quick. Once people start hearing that we're calling out 'Hogwarts' and not some muggle pub in Scotland to the floo fireplace, they'll get suspicious. So it is very important we are quick. Come on."  
  
All four nodded, and Lily's heart was lightened. She was going to be rescued. She was going home.  
  
She closed the door, and all that remained in her bedroom was the spilt trash. The pregnancy test lay on the ground, but little did Lily know that not all pregnancy test answers come out 100% true. 


	2. Diggory and Potter

Disclaimer: I own nada-it all belongs to J. K. Rowling. All I own is the plot, and the plot isn't even 100% original. Author's Note: Here's the second chapter! And thank you for all the people who reviewed already-ya'll make me smile! And tell me what you think about this chapter.this is my first story, so CONTRUCTIVE criticism is welcome! Also, I changed the name from My Demon Baby to My Demon Child, but I'm too lazy to reupload the first chapter just so one word can be changed. If it bothers you a lot though, jus say the words and I'll change it. Oh, can someone tell me how to do italics and bolds? Thanks! Okay, after this I'll stop ranting.this is going to definitely be an L/J fic, Wo Ai Ni16!  
  
My Demon Child  
  
Chapter Two: Diggory and Potter  
  
Amos Diggory was alone in his bedroom. It's been two days since Lily returned home. If he were the same man he was two years ago, he'd be at St. Mungo's with Lily, who was getting checked over to make sure she was healthy and fine before she was questioned at the Ministry. When Lily returned, everyone rejoiced of course. But it was weird. She was so.normal.  
But right now, Amos was sitting on his bed, not knowing what to do. He put his hand through his hair and sighed.  
What did he get himself into?  
For two years, he thought she was dead! How was he supposed to know all this time she was alive?  
For a year, Amos mourned heavily. He loved her; that was true. It was a horrible feeling, knowing that a part of you was gone forever. He would just spend the days sitting there, staring off into space, missing his Lily.then a year passed, and his mourning had stopped.  
Of course, it this were under normal circumstances, Amos would be ready to fall back in love with her. But, if Amos did let himself love her again, what would he tell her?  
Amos met a woman in Diagon Alley. They had bumped into each other, and he had accidentally ripped the pages out of her books. He bought her new books, and they got to know each other better. He fell in love with her, and they were starting to get very serious. But, now Lily was back. ***  
The doctor looked through the window at St. Mungo's towards Lily Evans's room. He and the other nurses, ordered by Cornelius Fudge, were taking check ups and all kinds of checks on this extraordinary girl. On the side of the window that they were on, there were many screens, x-ray pictures, visuals showing the systems of her body, and magical tabs keeping track of Lily's emotional side. Right now, she was sleeping.  
It was the team's first test on Miss Evans. The previous days she had just been placed in the hospital, and only her general information was gathered. Today, they were giving her a check up.  
One of the nurses handed the doctor a clip board containing the information of Lily Evans. He scanned over it.  
Name, Lily Marie Evans.Hair color, red.eye color, green.height, 5'6''.weight, 121.birthdate, November 9, 1957.  
"This is uncanny," the doctor said out loud.  
One of the nurses gave him a stern look and snapped back, "Don't you think we would know? Heaven, if I were with You-Know-Who for that long I would have killed myself if he didn't kill me first."  
"But you know," started another nurse offhandedly. "That girl is really weird. It says she's twenty there, but she's always saying that she's twenty-six."  
"Poor girl," added the first nurse. "You-Know-Who must have tortured her one too many times. I bet right now she's a mental case and feels like all these walls are building up inside her head." *** I'm free!  
Lily was resting on a bed surrounded by curtains in St. Mungo's with wires attached over various parts of her body. She was under many tests to make sure she was fine and she wasn't harmed. Although she said again and again that she was under perfect conditions with Voldemort and though it was hard to believe, she was perfectly fine. She was just happy that she was able to sit back in the normal world and would be able to live again. She would be able to do normal things like shop. She missed shopping. She didn't have to live everyday dreading of pregnancy or that it was time to meet up with Voldemort again. Now, instead, she could meet up with Amos.  
But he hadn't visited her. She assumed that he was busy or visitors weren't allowed, but she continued to question about why he wasn't there with her.  
The curtains opened, and a plump nurse with thick brown curls appeared with a clipboard.  
"So far, so good Lily," she smiled. "Professor Dumbledore's here to see you. But afterwards, we're resuming tests."  
"Okay," Lily said weakly. The nurse left and in came Dumbledore. He looked the same-long white beard, hooked nose, half moon spectacles, and the warm welcome twinkle in his blue eyes.  
"How are you Lily?" he smiled.  
"I feel wonderful," Lily answered truthfully. "I just wish that Amos was here. Do you know where he is?'  
"Hmm.he's called in sick the past two days."  
"Oh no! Is he ill?"  
"I don't think it's anything serious Lily," Dumbledore reassured her. "Just relax. Everything will be okay and everything will resume to the way how things were before."  
Lily nodded and sank into her giant pillows.  
"Well," he started. "I'm just here to talk about your upcoming schedule. The nurse has talked to me, and so far you seem healthy. They're now checking to see if you're physically injured in anyway. Next week, ministry members and I will be here again to question you on what happened while you were kidnapped. Then, after that, you'll be transported to a home. You won't be living by yourself. Most likely, you'll move in with a Ministry member or an auror temporarily."  
"Oh, can I be with Amos? I miss him so much!" she pleaded.  
"We shall see, we shall see," Dumbledore said. But this answer didn't satisfy Lily. "We'll station you back to your normal routine as before within a year. If you wish to continue in your work of being an auror, we'll have to briefly retrain you."  
"Understandable," Lily shrugged. "But I really miss Amos. Is there anyway you can talk to him? Tell him I want him to visit me?"  
"Of course," Dumbledore sighed. "Now, I am sorry. But I must go now; there are other meetings to attend to. I will talk to you later, Lily. It is wonderful to have you back."  
Lily smiled, and he left. ***  
"WHERE IS SHE?" Voldemort snarled at the death eaters, Snape was one of them. "WHO WAS GUARDING HER?"  
Snape boldly raised up his hand.  
Voldemort spat at him and pointed his wand at him.  
"Crucio!"  
Snape wailed out in pain. He fell on his knees and cried out in agony, clutching onto anything, trying to make the pain stop. After about a minute, the curse was taken off and he was left there panting for breath.  
"WHERE IS LILY?" Voldemort hissed at him. "HOW DID YOU LET HER ESCAPE?"  
"My lord, my lord," Snape said gasping. "Have mercy-I do not know! My lord, I was guarding and I was given a glass of water. But when I drank it, I fell asleep, and when I woke up I was summoned here to this meeting!"  
"YOU FOOL! How could you fall asleep? You FOOL! Crucio!"  
Snape fell onto the floor screaming again. He felt like dying with white hot knives piercing his skin.  
It stopped again.  
"My lord! My lord! Have mercy, please! I think I was given a sleeping potion.a traitor among our midst," he managed to lie between pants.  
Voldemort pondered on this.  
"Very well, you are all dismissed for now."  
And with that, Voldemort left. Mentally, he was convinced that Lily had been pregnant with his child countless times but killed all of them. He had it. He was through. He was sick of the mudblood.  
I am not trying with her anymore.wretched girl.it'll be easier to just kill her. ***  
Reluctantly, Amos walked towards Lily. She was propped up with pillows and was reading a book, as usual. She had on thick black spectacles for reading, her hair covering her shoulders, her features sad. Amos thought she looked beautiful, but he also thought someone else looked beautiful.he decided to not tell Lily about the other woman just now.  
Lily saw Amos enter the room, and her face lit up.  
"Amos!" she exclaimed and dropped her book on the floor. Amos forced a smile and sat next to her bed and stroked he cheek. They embraced, and Lily pecked him on the cheek.  
"Are you okay, honey?" he asked. "It's great to see you."  
"I feel wonderful now that you're here. How come you haven't visited me?" she questioned.  
"Oh, you know, work and all," he said slowly.  
"But Dumbledore said you called in sick the last two days," Lily cut in, eyebrows raised.  
"Oh, uh.it's flu season, you know," he lied, scratching the back of his neck. "But enough about me. What about you? What have you been doing?"  
Lily shrugged. "Eating, bathroom, reading, that's about it. Dumbledore and you have been on my only visitors. I'm not sure why though."  
"Well, strictly speaking, only some people know you're alive. Dumbledore, high ministry members, Snape, Potter, and myself, I think, are the only ones who know you're alive. If word gets out to the whole world that you escaped You-Know-Who, You-Know-Who might try to come back to kill you. Also, the press would be crowding around your lovely face," he explained.  
"I see," Lily sighed. "Well, it would be nice to have more visitors. So.what have you been doing while.I was gone?"  
Amos paused. What was he supposed to say? Oh Lily, I met and fell in love with another woman! You should really meet her!  
"Mourning, mostly," he said quietly.  
Lily nodded and hugged him again and whispered, "Don't worry, I won't leave again."  
After about a ten minute pause, Lily shifted uneasily. Although she thought that they were still in love, this next question would be hard to ask. If they were in love though, why would it be hard? Lily took a deep breath and asked.  
"Amos, are we still-engaged?"  
Amos stared at her. What in the world was he supposed to say now?  
"I love you Lily," he said calmly. "But maybe, right now isn't the best time. Maybe we should talk about it after you've recovered-"  
"But I am recovered!" she exclaimed, sitting even more straighter in bed. "It's just that these ministry people won't believe me when I say that I'm fine and-"  
"When you're stable again," Amos said, taking another approach. However, these weren't the best words to say.  
"Stable?" Lily echoed. "What do you mean stable? I am sane! I know it sounds really hard to believe, but Voldemort didn't exactly starve me or anything; I was taken care of back in that hellhole!"  
"I don't think it's likely that the most evil wizard would give generous hospitality to a muggle-born," Amos said, regretting every word. "I'm sorry-"  
"That's what I thought too," Lily said, more cross than ever. "But didn't anyone tell you? Dumbledore? Snape? Didn't anyone explain to you why Voldemort would take care of me?"  
Amos took a good look at Lily. She was different. She did look healthy, but he couldn't help himself of being doubtful and for what he felt about the other woman. He also noticed now that Lily said Voldemort, not You-Know-Who anymore.  
He was scared though, and said, "Okay, Lily, let's get married."  
"Are you sure?" Lily snapped. "Are you sure you want to spend the rest of your life with a woman who is supposedly unstable?"  
"You know I didn't mean that," Amos said softly.  
They both remained quiet for a while; both were uncomfortable.  
Lily's features softened with love and whispered, "Let's get married then."  
Amos nodded and kissed the top of her head. He left the room twenty minutes later, mentally kicking himself.  
Oh great Amos.you're real smart you know, you're engaged to two women now. ***  
James and Lily knew each other since their first train ride to Hogwarts. They had a strong relationship, and when Lily left him, they promised each other that one break up wouldn't sever that. They were still close, and that was why James Potter was walking towards Lily's room in St. Mungo's that day.  
James was about to open the door to her room when it already opened- by Amos Diggory. He looked stressed and-annoyed?  
"Hey Diggory," James greeted.  
"Hi," he said gruffly and walked away. James stared at him in curiosity. He opened the door and found Lily there looking happy,  
"Lily! What happened?" James asked and immediately sat by her side, but he was a little scared cause it looked like she was about to sing or something. And James knew that Lily wasn't the best singer in the world.  
Lily looked up, her eyes brightened.  
"I'm getting married!" she exclaimed. "For now there's no ring-but who cares? I'm getting married!"  
James smiled and said, "Congratulations. You're getting married to Diggory?"  
"It's Amos," Lily corrected. "And yes, it is to Amos. What are you doing here?"  
"Just visiting," James explained.  
"Aww, you're a nice guy," Lily grinned. She tossed her book on the floor and leaned back into her pillow. "So what's been happening in the life of the victorious James Potter?"  
"Absolutely nothing," James laughed.  
"What?" Lily asked shocked. "No job? House? Girlfriend? Wife? Kids-?"  
"Well, you know I'm an auror. Broke up with girlfriend a while ago- so I have no wife or kids. But it's okay. I have the rest of my life," James grinned. "I am only twenty after all."  
"What?" Lily shrieked. "You're twenty? But that's impossible because-I'm twenty-six, aren't I?"  
James cocked an eyebrow up. "Twenty-six?"  
"Maybe I miscalculated. With Voldemort, you kind of forget who you are," Lily said quickly. "So I'm only twenty?"  
"Yes," James laughed. "You seriously thought you were twenty-six?"  
"Oh shut up!" Lily cried, laughing too.  
However, she stopped laughing. Her eyes widened, and she became pale. She put one hand over her stomach and another hand over her mouth. She looked horrible.  
"Nurse!" she gasped.  
The nurse rushed over and was surprised at her expression. She quickly helped her out of the bed towards a bathroom, but when she stood up, she threw up all over the floor.  
"Oh no," Lily moaned.  
"Lily?" James questioned. "Are-are you okay?"  
"I thought I was," Lily said, collapsing on her bed. "I don't feel too good."  
"Oh, Lily dear we're going to have to change your sheets. Here, just- can you stand up properly?" she asked.  
Lily shook her head.  
The nurse thought for a moment and conjured a wheel chair. She had Lily sit in it and looked towards James.  
"You, sir-can you just stroll her around the grounds while we have her bed cleaned?"  
"Of course," James said, and started to wheel Lily out of the hospital room.  
They walked by other patient's rooms towards the front door. James planned to just stroll her outside so she could have some fresh air. It's been a long time since she's had that. ***  
Later that night, the nurse was up looking over Lily's results. All seemed good, but the nurse became concerned after Lily threw up. She was even more worried because it was three, and Lily and that young man hadn't returned. They've been out for five hours!  
The nurse was anxious.she had to tell Lily of her pregnancy soon. ***  
James and Lily were sitting behind St. Mungo's on a bench, Lily covered in a blanket that James transfigured from a rock. They were laughing and recalling old times at Hogwarts and after they graduated.  
"Remember that time when I accidentally dyed your hair purple?" James laughed.  
"That was not funny! That was the worst bad hair day I ever had in my life!" Lily exclaimed, hands on hips.  
"Sorry, sorry," James lied. Lily laughed, but James stopped. He just sat there and stared at her. It was unnerving and uncomfortable. Lily looked at his weirdly.  
"What are you doing?" Lily asked.  
James shook his head and answered, "Oh it's just, you know. I didn't think you'd still be like this. Like your normal self."  
Lily breathed a sigh of relief. She had seen that look on him before, and it usually meant something else besides critical observations.  
"Oh, okay. Well, you know, Voldemort kept me healthy. That's all."  
James slowly nodded, although he didn't completely understand. He looked at his watch and almost jumped.  
"Oh my goodness-we've got to get you back in! It's three!"  
"Why? Is that a long time?" Lily asked absentmindedly.  
"Do you think five hours is a long time?" James asked.  
Lily shrugged and said coolly, "Oh, I suppose. Over the past two years I've learned to stop keeping track of everything."  
"And that's why you thought you were twenty-six," James smirked.  
"If you're just going to gloat on my mistakes, then wheel me in Mr. Potter, wheel me in the blasted hospital!" Lily snapped, though James could tell she wasn't mad.  
James took hold of the wheel chair and wheeled her towards the anxious nurse. 


	3. The Questioning

**Author's Note:**  Sorry I haven't updated in a while!  I had writer's block—isn't the dream of every author?  J/k!—and also I was busy reading Harry Potter Book 5 over and over again!  So, here's chapter three!  I'm not sure it's as good as the other chapters, but I think it's pretty decent.  So, read on!

And thank you so much for you reviews!!  I'm soooooooo happy!!!!!!!

**Disclaimer:**  Trust me, if I owned Harry Potter I wouldn't even be writing on fanfiction.  I'd be in my mansion ordering for a hundred bags of hot cheeots!  All right, um, you can stop reading this now and start reading the chapter now…hehe…just know that the only I thing I own here is the plot.

My Demon Child 

**Chapter Three:**  The Questioning

James had left St. Mungo's, and Lily was snuggling into he bed when the nurse sat by her side playing with her fingers.

            "Erm, hello," Lily said timidly; a nurse had never sat next to her before.  Usually they towered over her with stern looks and saying in a monotone voice, "You're healthy so far.  But we're still going to put your through some more tests!"

            "Miss Evans," the nurse started.  "What did happen when you were with You-Know-Who?"

            Lily stared at her.  The nurse was dressed all in white and was quiet plump.  Lily recognized her as one of the most boring nurses around here.  So why was she here trying to make conversation?

            "Oh," Lily said, shocked.  "Um, nothing exciting really…_why_?"

            "Well, something _must _have happened down there," the nurse continued, "cause we—the other nurses and I—found something in you that…well…"

            "What?  Am I sick?" Lily asked curtly.  Mentally, she was rolling her eyes.

            "No," the nurse said slowly.

            "No offense or anything," Lily said without thinking, "but is this normal, professional behavior from a nurse?"

            "Oh, you're right dear," the nurse agreed, although she now resorted to biting her bottom lip.

            "I'm sorry," she apologized.  "It's just, I'm nervous that's all."

            "It's okay," Lily said quickly, "just, what's wrong?" 

            The nurse took a deep breath and said, "Miss Evans, you're pregnant."

***

            The next week, Amos headed to the Leaky Cauldron to meet up with his other fiancé.  (A/N: This other woman is supposed to be Cedric's mum, but I don't know her name.  Is it mentioned anywhere in the books?  Until I find out her name, I'll just be addressing her as _the other woman _or something like that.)  She was already sitting at a table sipping away her butterbeer.

            "Hi!" Amos called.  She turned around and smiled at him and pulled up another chair.

            "I was wondering where you were," the attractive woman said pleasantly.  She was a slender girl, around the age of twenty-one or so.  She had dark hair and dark features that any guy would like.  But Amos Diggory liked this woman because of her intellectual side. She wasn't just a pretty face, but she was able to keep up a nice conversation…and he loved her madly.

            For about ten minutes they just talked about what was happening to them throughout the week.  Amos had debated with himself if he should tell her about Lily's return.  By telling her, he would have broken Dumbledore's trust, for he had made everyone promise that they wouldn't tell anyone about Lily Evans and that she was still alive.  It would have been too risky because the word could spread around town quickly and Voldemort might get wind about her whereabouts.

            But Amos loved her.  He had to tell.

            "Honey," Amos started, holding her hands under the table.  "Lily's back."

            This woman already knew about Lily and Amos's past with her.  She, with the rest of the wizarding world, believed her dead.

            "But how?" she gasped.

            Amos explained everything to her.  He explained how he was feeling, how she was rescued, how Snape found about her, everything…

            "Who are you going to choose?" she asked, her eyes narrowed.

            Amos wiped his brow and told her.

***

            "OH NO!" Lily exclaimed.  "You are _not _going to make me eat that stuff?"

            It was the same day as when Amos had visited the other woman.  It was a bright Monday morning, but the day hadn't started out perfect.

The nurse put the tray of food closer to Lily.

            "It's part of your new diet," the nurse explained.  This nurse was old, she looked about seventy judging by her many wrinkles.  Her curly, white hair was planted neatly on her head.  She looked like she never listened and was stuck in her own satisfactory world.  "You have a baby on the way," the old nurse croaked.  "And babies need healthy food."

            Lily looked at the tray of food with disgust.  It was just healthy food…he recalled her sister's boyfriend calling it "rabbit food."

            "Ew, gross, gross, gross, gross, gross," Lily chanted, taking a chance with the oatmeal.

            "Nonsense," the nurse said.  "After nine months of this food, you'll get used to it."

            Just then, a knock came from the door.

            "Ugh, visitors are not permitted!" the nurse yelled, which surprised Lily because she thought that the nurse was quite weak.

            But the knocking continued.

            The nurse went to go open the door, and there stood four men—Albus Dumbledore, Millicent Bagnold, the Minister of Magic, Barty Crouch, and Cornelius Fudge.

            Lily mentally smacked herself.

            "Oh, right, the ministry wants to questions me," Lily muttered to herself.  "Uh, nurse, it's okay.  You can let them in—"

            "Minister!" the nurse exclaimed.  "Come in, come in!  I almost forgot that you had an appointment with Miss Evans today—"

            The four men walked in quickly and magicked up chairs.  They surrounded her bed and looked at her as if she was mucus or something.

            "Incredible," the minister muttered to Dumbledore.  "So he's been keeping her healthy all this time, eh?"

            Dumbledore nodded and smiled at Lily.  The four men sat themselves around Lily's bed.  They were all in formal dress robe, had sharp eyes, and looked a little suspicious around Lily.

            The nurse was intimidated by the crowd and excused herself.

            "So, Miss Evans," Crouch eyed suspiciously.  "Are we absolutely sure that is the real Lily Evans, Albus?"

            "I can assure, yes," Dumbledore smiled.

            Lily put her food on her night stand and put on a fake, enthusiastic smile on.  Inside, she was thinking _Oh hurry up old man!_

            Crouch stroked his chin.  "Bagnold?  Do you want to start the questioning—"

            "Sure," Millicent Bagnold replied, clapping his hands together.  He peered over his parchment and sniffed a little.  He cleared his throat and began, "Now, we know this must be very hard for you Miss Evans, but this is important information.  It is just so uncanny for you to escape from Voldemort after two years and being so healthy."

            Lily nodded, showing she understood while hiding her annoyance.

            "So, can you tell us how you were captured?" Bagnold asked, peering over his thick glasses.

            "Oh, uh, some death eaters were torturing some…muggles," Lily gulped loudly.  She hated how some death eaters were _so _racist against muggles and muggle-bprns.  "And, I was called to go get them, and they stunned me and captured me."

            Some tears escaped Lily's eyes and all though of annoyance toward the minister and his council vanished.  She didn't like to recall the memory.  She always felt like throwing up when wizards were hurting Muggles.  Lily remembered vividly that when she saw the ten death eaters tackling the two muggle children with all kinds of torture curses, her defense had backed down, and that was the thing that gave the death eaters the advantage.

            "When I woke up," Lily cried, "I was in front of Voldemort."

            Dumbledore's ears perked up at the sound of "Voldemort."  Before Lily was captured, she had always referred to him as "You-Know-Who."

            Fudge continued the questioning.

            "Did You-Know-Who ever torture you?"

            "No."

            "Why?"

            "Because he wanted to keep me alive and healthy."

            "But why?"

            Lily was confused.  Before, didn't Snape tell Lily that he already told Dumbledore everything that had happened to her?  If they were so keen on knowing about her experience, couldn't they just ask Dumbledore?  After all, he was sitting right in between Bagnold and Crouch and right in front of Lily.

            But she answered, "Because he _really _wanted me to have his kid, and he didn't think it would be very healthy for me to have a kid while under pressure, you know?"

            "You-Know-Who wanted you to have his kid?" spat Crouch.  "B-but that d-d-doesn't make sense—"

            Lily sighed.

            "Do you know why—v?"

            "Yes, Minister, I do know why," Lily snapped.  In one breath she explained, "Voldemort's Seer predicted I would have a very powerful child, and Voldemort didn't want that kid to rival his own powers so he wanted to make sure that the child would be an evil kid so instead they could be allies, not enemies—"

            "That is all right Lily, you don't have to explain everything," Dumbledore said calmly.  He saw how much of a struggle it was for Lily to explain everything.  "I have already told Mr. Bagnold everything, he just wanted to make sure everything I said was correct through and through."

            Bagnold nodded in agreement and added, "But we would just like to know one thing.  _Have _you ever been pregnant?"

            "Twice," she replied.  "The first time, it was a total shock.  But during my sixth month—I think it was the sixth—I had a miscarriage.  The second time, well, the second time is now I guess."

            The four men looked at her confusingly.

            "Lily," Dumbledore spoke first.  "Are you pregnant?"

            Lily nodded slowly.  Through clenched teeth she muttered, "But I will not have abortion."

            "I wasn't even going to suggest it," Dumbledore said with reassurance in his voice.

            "Are you mad Dumbledore?" Fudge exclaimed.  "This is You-Know-Who's---thing—ch—child!  There will be more chaos with the birth of this kid!  We cannot let this happen!  Crouch, Bagnold, back me up!"

            "I agree," Crouch stammered.  "If we're going to do an abortion, we have to act quick."

            "No, please, Mr. Crouch," Lily pleaded.  "I, I'll raise my kid to be good I promise!  But, please, _don't _make me do anything bad like that—"

            "We will talk about this later," Dumbledore said in a majestic voice that clearly meant that the subject was closed for now.  No one dare talk against him, so all was silence.

            "Next question on agenda?" Dumbledore smiled.

            Fudge looked a little offended, but it his facial expression changed from scared to bored.

            "Is it true that You-Know-Who put spells on you to keep you sane and healthy?"

            "Yeah," Lily said quietly.  "If they didn't put all those spells on me, I'd probably be mental and stuff, you know—traumatized.  Voldemort was a little reluctant to put the spells on me, cause he wasn't sure if the spells themselves would be good for me when I'm pregnant and all."

            For about another hour, they continued to talk.  The Ministry members would ask question and Lily would answer.  Occasionally Dumbledore would say a joke to liven up the dark and poignant mood.  When the questioning was over, they began to talk about Lily's future.

            "Since you seem all right and healthy," Bagnold started, "we've decided to move you from this hospital to an auror's home.  And also, for now we must keep you a secret. We can't risk having the press around you because You-Know-Who will be sure to track you down then and try to capture you again or something."

            "Oh, of course," Lily said, a little downhearted.  She wouldn't be visiting a shopping mall anytime soon, she guessed.

            They all shook her hand and started to leave the little hospital room wishing her the best in the near future.  Dumbledore followed the others out of the door when Lily called, "Which auror am I staying with?"

            "James Potter.  I'm sure you're acquainted with him?" Dumbledore hummed.

            "Yes," Lily replied defiantly.  "When am I leaving St. Mungo's?"

            "Next week is all I know," Dumbledore replied kindly.  As he closed the door behind him, he said, "Have a nice day!"

            After the door closed, the nurse rushed back in by Lily's side with a stern look.  Lily told herself she looked a little bit like Professor McGonagall.

            "Okay Lily, start eating!" she commanded.  Lily groaned and poked her celery.

            The door opened again, and Lily's heart started pounding when she saw it was Amos.

            "NO VISITORS!" the nurse screamed.  For an old woman, she had a loud voice!

            "Nurse, please, just let him stay for a while," Lily begged.  "For five minutes—I promise!  I'm engaged to him!"

            "Oh all right," the nurse huffed.  "FIVE minutes only!"

            She trudged off as Amos walked in and sat next to Lily.  They smiled at each other.  For a while, Amos looked at Lily's food in disgust but thought better of it and pecked Lily on the cheek.  She blushed at this.

            "Shouldn't hospital food be better than this?" Amos asked.

            "Usually, but they're putting me on a strict diet now cause I'm pregnant and all.  Amos, you want some carrots?"

            "WHAT?" screamed Amos.  "YOU'RE PREGNANT?"

            The nurse rushed back in.  She looked livid at Amos and marched right in between Lily and Amos.  She grabbed the back of Amos's collar and dragged toward the door.

            "You are disrupting the peace that patients need here at St. Mungo's, sir!" she scolded.  "Out!"

***

            James opened the door to his flat and slumped down onto the couch.  It was a rough day.  The death eaters were more vicious now, and James credited it all to Lily's escape.  But the attacks on muggles had doubled, and there just weren't enough aruros to fight them all off.  He glanced at the clock and saw it was around two in the morning.

            He stood up and decided to go to sleep.  He turned off the light and staggered off towards the hallway, but in the dark he couldn't see and tripped over his broomsticks.

            "Aww, freak!" he shrieked.  He noticed that his front door was still open so he went over to close it.  As he reached his door, the door opposite opened.  Did he make that much noise?  Was his _Aww, freak!_ that loud that his neighbors heard?

            To his dread, the person who opened the door was Anette.  With her straight blonde hair, innocent blue eyes, and small stature, she smiled at James.

            "Oh, hello James," she giggled uncontrollably.

            "Erm, hi there," James said.  He quickly closed the door, but Anette knocked on the door.

            "James, are you all right?  I heard you make that loud noise before you went to close your door, do you need help or anything?" Anette yelled through the door.  James silently cursed himself.  Anette was nice enough, but ever since he moved across the hall from her she had formed this little crush on him.  She was still at Hogwarts in her sixth year!  And now that summer had begun, she was back at home with her parents ready to flirt with him.

            "I—I'm all right," James said nervously.  "G-g-go back to bed!"

            "Okay then," Anette said, her tone a little more down. "I'll see you tomorrow?"

            "Sure," James said uncertainly.

            He cursed aloud at himself.  James, a twenty-year-old was afraid of a little sixteen-year-old girl.  He shook his head.

**Author's Note:**  Okay, I will update the new chapter a lot sooner!  Probably sometime this week…and next chapter, we will meet the dashing SIRIUS BLACK!  Yay!  Yeah, so you'll be meeting the other Marauders next chapter.  Such joy!  Now, do me a favor and review!  (Unless it's a flame…)

Also, was Millicent Bagnold, the Minister of Magic in the 1970's, a girl?  Cause here I made Bagnold a guy, but isn't Millicent a girl name?  Okay, you all probably think I'm all stupid for saying that.  Ah well…

Also, next chapter will be longer and more interesting…harty har har….


	4. The Day in the Life of Evans

**Author's Note**:  I have left all of you a long chapter!  Yay!  Well, the main reason is cause I probably won't be able to update for two weeks cause all next week I have to go to Irvine, California and I can't use a computer there!  So when I get back, it'll probably take me another week to write up chapter five.  So, (I know, you're all crying) read on!  And review!

**Disclaimer:**  All Harry Potter characters that you recognize belong to the lovely J.K. Rowling!  The only things I own are my character, Anette and the plot, although I admit that the plot isn't 100% original.

My Demon Child 

**Chapter Four:**  A Day in the Life of Evans

            "Whoa, where did you get money to afford a place like this?" Lily shrieked when she stepped into James's flat for the first time.  She had one suitcase in her hand that was half filled up because she had hardly any possessions at all.  All she owned was her wand, a book, a notebook and pen, and some robes.

James grinned sheepishly.

To some, his flat could be considered average, but to Lily it was a four star hotel.  The rooms were spacious and were filled with glass tables, leather couches, mahogany shelves, and the finest accessories.  When you opened the door you entered the living room, which surprisingly had a Muggle television.  Two hallways were connected to the living room; one led to the kitchen and dining room and the other led to the bedrooms and bathrooms.  One whole side of the flat was just a window with a big curtain that James hardly ever closed because of the great view it contained of the wizarding community.

"So," Lily shrugged, "Where's my room?'"

"Down the left hallway and farthest door to your left," James replied promptly.  He took hold of Lily's light suitcase and led her to her bedroom.

Her bedroom had the same style as the rest of the house, so she was very much satisfied.  The room contained a queen-sized bed, desk, dresser, two closets, and her own bathroom.

"Seriously, James, how did you afford all this?  You can't get paid this much," Lily said in awe.

"Ididn't pay for everything," James said.  "The Ministry paid for the most of the stuff.  They feel they're responsible for you."

"Oh great, the government is my mom—just wonderful," Lily sighed.  She flopped onto her bed and smiled.  "Still, I'm not complaining or anything.  This is great!"

"Good.  Okay, uh, you can unpack now and—"

Just then, a knocking came from the door.  Lily bolted right up from her bed and looked a little anxious.

"Are you expecting company?"  Lily asked slowly.

James shook his head.  The knocking continued and was even louder.  James, knowing who it was, cautiously walked to the door.  Lily, taken by surprise, foolishly followed him.  In the living room, he opened the door and there stood—

"Hello, Anette," James said while scratching his back.

"James!" she said enthusiastically.  "I just dropped by to say hello—_who is she_?"

Anette pointed to Lily, and Lily froze.  She mentally smacked herself and yelled really loudly in her mind _LILY EVANS!  OH GREAT, YOU'RE SPOTTED ALREADY!_

Lily smiled and tried to back away, but Anette had a look of daggers.  Anette let herself into the flat and circled Lily suspiciously.  Although Lily was a couple of inches taller than Anette, she was still frightened.  She seemed so protective of something—so protective of James.

"Who are you?" Anette asked.

Both James and Lily gave a sigh of relief.  She didn't recognize her.

"Uh," Lily stammered, trying to think of a name, "I'm B—Bernadette Groper—"

"_Bernadette Groper_?" James scoffed.  Lily gave a look of panic and shrugged.  James straightened up and said calmly to Anette, "Yes, yes, this is Bernadette Groper, my—uh—my cousin visiting from Bermuda."

"_This is Bernadette Groper, your cousin, visiting from Bermuda?_"  she repeated.  Lily, frankly, was getting annoyed by this ditz.

"Exactly, how old are you?" Lily asked, regaining her dignity.

"Sixteen," Anette snapped.  "I'm almost seventeen, and I'll be entering my seventh year at Hogwarts!  _How old are you, Bernadette_?"

Lily grinned and answered, "Twenty."

Anette eyed Lily suspiciously and walked away towards the open door and said, "I guess I'm not wanted here—but if you two are only cousins, then—oh never mind.  I'll go now.  I just wanted to say hi to you James.  But I'll be BACK!"

And with that, she exited while banging the door shut.

Lily gave a low whistle.

"What's her problem?" Lily laughed.

"Can I blame it if women can't resist my rugged good looks?" James said airily.

"Mmm," Lily answered sarcastically.  "Well, I think I am going to go back to my room and start unpacking."

James nodded, but just as Lily was about to open her bedroom door, the front door knocked again.

"Not Anette _again_?" Lily groaned.  But when the door opened, she heard another voice, a familiar voice….Amos's voice…

Lily ran back to the living room and beamed at Amos.  She had always sense that there was something wrong between Amos and her, but she had always ignored that feeling.  She just wanted to always be there for Amos no matter what.  After all, that feeling would go away once they were married, right?  Everything was going to be okay…

James, seeing Lily smile so brightly at Amos, excused himself.  He went to the kitchen though because then he could hear their conversation through the hallway.

Amos and Lily just stood in the middle of the living room, silence between them.

"I heard you came here," Amos said absentmindedly.  "I did wonder why the Ministry wouldn't let me take you to my place."

"They wanted me to stay with an auror," Lily answered.  "You know, just safety measures."

"So, uh, how are you?"

"I guess I'm okay.  I'm kind of mad though cause the Ministry won't let me just be by myself you know?  They think that I'm not responsible or something like that to take care of myself," Lily sighed.  "Count your blessing though, eh?"

Amor laughed half heartedly.

"So, er…."

"Yeah," Lily finished.  A thought then came to her mind and asked, "Did you come here to talk about the wedding?"

Amos smiled nervously and put his hands behind his back.  He wore his engagement ring to the other woman to Lily's place!  He took the ring off and pocketed it.

"About that, um…when did you want to get married again?"

"Oh, it doesn't have to be soon or anything, but wouldn't it be nice if it was before the baby's born?"

When Lily told Amos about her pregnancy, it was a total shock to Amos.  He wasn't sure if it was a joke or not, but if it was a joke it was a pretty bad one.  The thought of Lily being pregnant was a little uncomfortable and intimidating.

"So you're not going to get rid of the baby?" he blurted out.

Lily's face turned a dark shade of red and wrath was filled inside of her head.  As calmly as she could, which wasn't very calm, she said no while clenching her fists.

"Amos, darling, you know I'm against abortion!"

"Right, I didn't mean—"

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to get angry or anything.  So, um, the baby's due sometime next March.  Oh, I guess that would be soon for a wedding since it's July.  Well, anytime is fine."

Amos tried to think fast, but he wasn't good at thinking on his feet.  He had proposed to the other woman already, and they planned to be married in November, although the exact date wasn't planned yet.  He had to break it off with Lily.  Yes, he still loved her, but it just wasn't as strong as before.  But how was he going to say it?  He didn't want to say it at all, especially in _Potter_'s flat.

He looked at a calendar and saw that today was Monday.  He turned to Lily and asked, "Can you meet me on Saturday?  How about, um, the Three Broomsticks?"

"Sure!" Lily exclaimed.

"Great, okay, I have to go—I'll see you soon then?" Amos said.

"Yeah, see you soon," Lily repeated.  She closed the door behind him.

James appeared on the scene.

"Don't tell me, you were eavesdropping?" Lily scolded.

James held up his hands and smiled, "Fine, I won't tell you."

"Hey!  How dare you—"

"Why don't you go finish unpacking your things?" James said while dragging Lily to her bedroom.

Lily slammed her bedroom door, although she wasn't really mad at him.  It wasn't as if he heard anything private.  She went on her knees and unzipped her suitcase.  Her belongings fell out as she began to put them away.

That weird vibe she felt towards Amos was getting a little stronger and a little harder to ignore, but Lily managed to put it in the back of her mind.  She blamed it all on their little two-year break.  She thought—_of course things are a little shifty between us.  We're just nervous around each other cause we haven't seen each other in a while.  Everything will be normal again soon because we LOVE EACH OTHER!_

***

            Sirius Black opened the glass door and entered the lobby.  He smiled at the women that passed by him;  it just makes his self esteem boost up.  His long black hair and dark features was so attractive women, and his sensitivity and humor just made them all laugh!  But he never pulled a Lockhart and flaunted them about.

Along with good looks, his life was quite the interesting one.  He and his friends, James, Remus, and Peter, had all recently joined the Order of the Phoenix, and it just gave him so much pride to know that he was doing something positive for the world.  Also, he was an illegal animagus and was quite the prankster.

            He entered the elevator cage and pushed the button '5', and the doors closed.  He went up towards James's flat.

***

            Lily put in the last article of clothing into her first closet and fell onto her bed.

            And for the third time, there came a knock from the door.  This time, Lily stayed still in her room.  She didn't want to be noticed again.

            But temptation came.  She heard Sirius's voice.  It was all she could do to just jump up and hug her good friend again, but she knew she had to control herself or else the Ministry would never let her go shopping out in the open in the near future.  So she stayed still on her bed and hugged the nearest pillow as tight as she could.  She smiled as she listened to the two men talk.

            "Hey Prongs, ready to go?" Sirius asked happily.

            "Go?" James echoed.

            "Yeah, the meeting's in about twenty minutes—"

            "Oh my god—I forgot—"

            "What?  Do you have plans or something?" Sirius asked.

            James answered quickly, "No, of course not.  Um, hold on—I'll be right back—"

            "Whatever floats your boat.  I'll just be stealing your food shall I?" Sirius smiled.

            "Sure, take anything, I'll be right back."

            James sprinted towards Lily's room and closed the door behind him.

            "Lily," he whispered.  "I totally forgot, but I have to go for a couple of hours.  I have to go a meeting held by Dumbledore, and I told Dumbledore that I had a temporary, inanimate, but reliable thing to watch you while I'm gone, but I forgot about it really.  So, Lily, can you just do me a favor and be good and stay here?  _Please?_"

            "What meeting?" Lily asked.

            "It's for the Order of the Phoenix, a group against You-Know-Who," James explained.

            "Why can't I go then?  Shouldn't I go?" Lily asked impatiently.

            "Yeah, you should, but Dumbledore doesn't want you to come to this meeting but to the next one so—"

            "Why can't I go _now_?" Lily complained.  "I want to go.  I don't want to be stuck here!"

            "Well, sorry Lils but life isn't fair, now is it?"

            "You of all people are telling _me _that life isn't fair?  Well, Potter, I learned that concept quite a while ago—"

            "Okay, I'm sorry," James apologized.  "You can come to the next meeting, but you can't come to this one.  I'll explain everything later, just stay here, okay?"

            "And what am I going to do here?  Pig out?  Read?"

            "Sure."

            "No!  I want to come!"

            "_No, _Lily—"

            "Oy, Prongs, what's taking you so long-oh—my—god."

            Sirius was wondering what was taking James so long, so he went to go check on him.  Oddly enough, he wasn't in his room and he was talking to someone else, so he wanted to see who she was.  And what he saw, well, it surprised him.

            "Hello, stranger," Lily cut in towards Sirius.  "Well, um, I don't know you and you don't know me so I'm going to go and—uh—lock myself in the bathroom.  Ta!"

            Lily ran to the bathroom and locked it, breathing hard.

            "Prongs, was that—no, it couldn't be—"

            "Whoever you thought it was, it wasn't, so—let's go now!" James said in the most fake, cheerful smile ever.  He attempted to drag Sirius out of the flat, but it was no easy job.  Sirius managed to escape from his grasp and run back to the room and pound on the bathroom door.

            "L—Lily?" he stammered, although he was nervous.

            "I d—don't know who you're talking about," Lily cried through the door.

            James staggered back into the room.  He hated to lie to his best friend in the whole world.  Sirius had never lied to him.  They were brothers.  So, after some quick thinking he used his wand to unlock the bathroom door to reveal a scared Lily.

            "He's going to find out anyway," James muttered to Lily.  He pulled Lily out of the bathroom and put her in front of Sirius.  James saw the shocked expression on his best friend's face.

            "Padfoot, you remember Lily, right?" James asked, awkwardly.

            Sirius's mouth just hung open, his eyes were bulging, he was playing with his fingers.  To Lily, it was a funny sight, and she began to giggle.

            "But you're dead!" he exclaimed.  "Aren't you?"

            "Nope, alive as ever," Lily shrugged.  "I know it's hard to believe.  God, this must be so weird for you—"

            Before she knew anything, Sirius embraced her.  Lily smiled and hugged him back.

            "But—Lily—"  Sirius said, speechless, after they broke apart.  "How—where—you—"

            "You two should really be going," Lily cut in.  "You'll be late for your oh-so-important-Order-of-the-Phoenix-meeting-that-I'm-not-aloud-to-go-to-my-butt—"

            It took about another ten minutes before they left the building, and Lily resumed to her grumpy state of being alone.  She was really irritated at the moment.  She wasn't in the mood to be by herself for a couple of hours in a flat that she felt like was she was only a guest in.  Well, she was only a guest in James's home, but Lily brushed that off.  She blamed all her irritation on hormones.

            She had absolutely nothing to do.  Actually, she could pig out or read, but she wasn't in the mood.  She tried to watch the Muggle television, but after a while her eyes started to hurt.  Pacing back to her room, she decided to organize her closet.

            However, when she opened her closet door there was really nothing to organize.

            "I WANT TO GO SHOPPING!" Lily exclaimed to herself.  She let the absurdity and the impossibility of this idea sink in, but she began thinking.

            "At school, James did whatever he wanted, even during the middle of the night," she continued talking to herself.  "He told me before he had that wretched invisibility cloak….he must still have it…."

            With that, she stormed out of the room into James's room and began tearing through all his belongings looking for the cloak.  She couldn't find it in his closet, dresser, bathroom, book shelves (although she knew already it wouldn't be there), and was about to give up when she spotted his school trunk.  Did he still use it?  Did it still contain his school stuff?

            Lily already felt guilty for looking through his other stuff, but living with Voldemort didn't exactly promote angelic ways, so she opened the trunk.  Inside were dusty school books, wrinkled school robes, crumpled up potion essays, torn divination charts, and the invisibility cloak!  Excited, she took it out when she noticed a leather bound book….a photo album….it too was covered in dust and lint.  She took it out and flipped through the pages.  She smiled at all of them; it brought so many memories back.  There were pictures of all of his friends, all either labeled Moony, Wormtail, or Padfoot.  She always did wonder why they had those weird nicknames.  Toward the back of the book, she noticed that the pictures began to be of the female sex.

            "Probably all of his girlfriends," Lily muttered under her breath with malice.  There were some pictures of her in there, since they had once dated in their seventh year.  They used to hate each other so much, especially in fifth year.  Then in sixth year they began to realize their feelings for each other, then in seventh year they hit it off.  For a moment, Lily remembered all the good times they had.  For her birthday, they snuck out to Hogdmeade and spent the whole day there together.  He always made her laugh and was so understanding.  And in that one moment, Lily wondered…why did they ever break up?  He was perfect!  Athletic, cute, charming, smart, humorous, and the perfect gentleman.  Their attitudes clicked so easily.

            Then she remembered Amos.

            "Stupid Lily," Lily scolded herself.  "You have _Amos._  You two broke up because, it—was—well—it wasn't meant to be.  Remember, you're getting married!"

            And that weird vibe hit her again whenever she though about Amos.  Things weren't the same between Amos and Lily anymore.  In fear and rage, Lily snapped the photo album shut and locked his school trunk again.

            She put the cloak on and raced to James's fireplace.  Before doing anything else, she took a newspaper and transfigured it into a brown wig.  She found a sack of floo powder, and flooed to Diagon Alley, the weird feeling almost gone.

***

            Outside of the apartment building, James and Sirius were walking side by side towards the current headquarters for the Order of the Phoenix.  They couldn't apparate because Sirius hadn't passed his test yet—he was too lazy to retake it—and death eaters could be watching the floo network.  So they were walking.  It wasn't that far really, although they weren't really sure of the exact address.  Albus Dumbledore was the only one who knew that.  From time to time, he would change the headquarters.  The Order had only begun, and they still didn't have the stable, hidden, unplottable place for meetings.

            "You okay Padfoot?" James asked to Sirius who had a weird expression of awe and confusion on his face.

            "It's just, Lily's alive…I thought she was dead," Sirius whispered.

            "_Everyone _thought she was dead," James said while patting his shoulder.

            "Why is she staying with you?" Sirius asked.

            "Oh, uh, I was one of the people who rescued her.  Then they wanted Lily to stay with me cause I'm an auror," James replied promptly.

            Sirius started to laugh.  Through his laughter, he mustered up the words, "Isn't it hard to be living with a girl without—ya know—in a girlish matter of speaking, isn't it hard to be living with a girl without _having any feelings for her whatsoever_?"

            James looked absolutely shocked and said, "Padfoot, that's been over for years now.  We broke up a long time ago.  And even if I did like her in that way, it wouldn't matter cause she' engaged."

            "Already?  Blimey, how long has she been back?" Sirius exclaimed.

            "No, no, before she was captured she was going to marry Diggory. Now that she is back, they've resumed their engagement," James said casually.

            "So she's been with You-Know-Who this whole time?" Sirius questioned.  James nodded.

            "Hell, she looks good for a person whose gone through all that," Sirius grinned.  "Why would she be engaged to pretty boy Diggory? She's too good for him!"

            "You're scaring me Padfoot," James said out flatly.

            Sirius eyed him and said, "So, you don't like Lily in that way at all?  At all?  It's all platonic?"

            "It's all platonic."

            "But you've always like Lily, how can you just stop?" Sirius asked stupidly.

            "Well, when I thought she was dead that helped me get over her," James said irritably.  "Really, mate, what's going on—"

            "BUT, she's alive now!  So you're feelings for her haven't returned?"

            "STOP talking about feelings!  That's what women talk about!," James shouted.  Actually, he didn't want to talk about this cause he never really did think about Lily being attractive in anyway since she was rescued.  And now that Sirius had brought up the subject, he was afraid his seventeen-year-old self would return.  And he didn't want that now.

            "Fine, don't get all moody," Sirius snapped, although none of the men were actually mad at each other.  "Did you see the game last week? Brazil versus Ireland?"

            James grinned and said, "Of course I watched it, who didn't?  That wronski feint, that must be the best move a Seeker could do now, eh?"

            And with that, their whole conversation turned into Quidditch talk.

***

            Lily found that she was having the time of her life although she was alone and she forgot how to tell the difference between something that was expensive or a good sale going on somewhere.  Her wig hid her red hair, so she looked like a brunette.  When she wasn't shopping, she had the cloak on.  She didn't want to be visible at all times, only for a limited time.  She still wasn't sure if anyone would recognize her.

            Not sure when James would return, she tried to shop as quick as possible.  First, she stopped into Gringotts and filled up her pockets with galleons, sickles, and knuts.  Then, desperately wanting some new clothes, headed over to Madam Malkins.  For a while, she debated on whether buying some bigger robes to fit her later on in her pregnancy.  She decided not to, for now.  Later, she stopped by into the icecream shop and ate a limited amount of junk food.

            After a couple of hours, she decided to go back.  She had five shopping bags with her, bulging with accessories.  She had robes, dress robes, make up, brushes, and the like.  She wasn't sure why she was buying them though.  She forgot how to apply mascara, didn't really care about her hair a lot since she couldn't go out in public without a wig anyway, and in a couple of months she'd be too fat to fit into her robes.  The only reason she bought these was to make herself feel normal again.

            She had also bought James a book about quidditch, so he wouldn't be _that _mad when he found out what she did.

            While walking down the alley, a sudden pain erupted within her stomach.  She wasn't going to throw up, and she didn't feel sick.  But she fell onto her knees, a weird pain like nothing else she had ever felt.  Her head felt heavy, and the crowd around her faded.  It was all a blur.  She was in so much pain, and she was pretty sure the source was from her stomach where that little embryo was.

            And then, it stopped.  Everything was normal.  She stood up again, aware that some people were staring at her weirdly.  She gave a weak smile and walked briskly away.  She wasn't sure what that was all about, and she was a little scared.  That couldn't have been a side effect of pregnancy…or was it just a side effect of _her _pregnancy, only?

            She stepped into the dark and dingy building, the Leaky Cauldron.  She was walking quietly over to the fireplace.  She never really liked this place.  She never understood why it was a famous place when it was always full of old wizards and hags drinking alcohol.  It always gave shivers down her spine.

            As she reached for the floo powder, she saw Amos.  She was going to go over to say his when she remembered her wig, and she saw he was talking to another woman.  Suspicious, she sat a few tables behind him, but she couldn't hear their conversation.  But from what she saw, they looked happy together.

            The other woman had dark hair and features, was attractive, and looked like a pleasant person.  But Lily was burning with jealousy.  What was Amos doing here with another woman?  Who was she?  A sister, co-worker, friend, or _girl_friend?  Lily quickly marched over to the fireplace and flooed back to James's flat.

***

            Lily unpacked all of her new belongings into shelves and into her closets.  She put James's book on her night stand and began pacing back and forth.

            She was still pondering over two things:  the weird pain she had felt while walking in Diagon Alley and why Amos was talking to another woman.  To be frank, she was more worried about the latter.

            Was he cheating on her?  No, he wouldn't.  Amos wasn't cruel, although a coward and prideful at times, not that cruel.  He loved her.  Right?  They were getting married, and he agreed to it!  Was it all a lie?  The thought sickened her.

            _Lily, stop crying, HE LOVES YOU!_

But a second voice said slyly, **Then what was he doing before?**

            _She was probably just a friend._

            **Don't assume Lily darling.  He's a coward at times, maybe he's chickened out to admit that he likes—or loves—another woman that isn't you!**

            _Oh, you little second voice, if you don't shut up I am going to kick your sorry a—_

**You can't do that.  I'm you Lily.  You're the one thinking all these thoughts and being suspicious.  That first voice is you too, but the you that's in Happy Dandy land.  I'm the voice of reality and the thoughts that almost always come out to be true.**

_            Huh?  No!  Shut up!_

            **Don't lie to yourself, honey.**

Lily hit herself on the head, but regretted it later.  She was sure she had made a bump on her head now.  

            **Lily, before you do anything, talk to Amos yourself!  Ask him what's going on with that other woman.  DON'T ASSUME ANYTHING JUST YET!**

            Lily heard the front door open, meaning that James had returned from the meeting.  She realized that she still had the wig and put it away in her closet.  James opened Lily's door and asked, "Had fun?"

            "Sure," Lily replied weakly.

            "Why so sad?" he asked when he saw her face full of misery.  He walked over and sat next to her on her bed.  "Is everything okay?  Hold on—have you been drinking?"

            "_What_?" Lily shrieked.

            James continued smelling her.  "You smell like, a bloody mary mixed with butterbeer mixed with other alcohol drinks—you smell like the Leaky Cauldron."

            Lily tried to smile innocently.  Under her breath she muttered, "Why do you have to be so smart like that?"  Then, catching James's eye, she tried to say as casually as possible ,"Well, I didn't want to be stuck here…so…

            "_So?_" James echoed, his brows furrowed.

            "I kinda went out…did some shopping…"

            "WHAT?" James bellowed, jumping up from the bed.  "What did you do?"

            "It was just shopping, nothing serious," Lily tried to repeat in a casual tone.

            "YOU WENT OUT?" James shouted furiously.  "Are you insane?  You are not to be spotted!  You are not to be seen!  You can't just leave like that!  No one knows you're alive!  Do you really want You-Know-Who to kidnap you again?"

            "No!  I don't want _Voldemort _to kidnap me again!  And do you know why I went out?  Cause for two years I wasn't aloud to go out!  I am sick of it!  I thought when I came out of that hellhole I could be normal again like a human being!  But no, I was locked up in St. Mungo's with tests running through me, Ministry members come and interrogate me and make me relive all of that mess, and I come here!  And you were my only friend who knew I was alive, but you won't let me out of the house either!  It's like, it's like—it's like for two years now I haven't been breathing.  I've just been locked up in a box with nothing to do but eat, sleep, and go to the bathroom.  And frankly, it SUCKS!"

            Lily's face was all red, and she was out of breath by the time she was done ranting.  She was now standing up, her fists clenched, her teeth gritted, hair dishelved, but suddenly lighter.  By letting her anger out, she felt so much better.

            "I'm sorry Lily," James said quietly.

            "No, no, I'm sorry," Lily drawled. "It's my fault.  I know why I'm being treated like this.  I know it's for my own protection.  I shouldn't have been so rash.  James, I promise I won't do that again.  I promise."

            James smiled and said, "I should be more mad at you, but I understand how you feel.  So, everything okay between us?"

            "Yes," Lily smiled.

            Both she and James sat on Lily's bed next to each other.

            "Any other problems in Lily World?" James questioned.

            "Actually, yes," Lily nodded.  She turned and faced James to look him in the eye.  She asked, "Do you think Amos would ever go out with another woman behind my back?"

            "What?  Why would he do that?  No, Lils, he loves you," James reassured her.

            Lily nodded and continued, "At the Leaky Cauldron I saw him talking to another woman.  It might just be the insecurities of Lily World but I'm all jealous and suspicious now."

            "Well, that's normal.  You love him, _of course _you don't want any other woman talking to him," James laughed, "Maybe, you should talk to him about it.  Get everything straight."

            Lily nodded to show she understood.  She let herself fall backwards so her head fell onto her comfortable pillows.

            "Thanks, James," she called.  "How was the meeting at the Order?"

            "Ah, it was okay.  Kind of depressing after a while really," James replied.  He craned his neck around to look at Lily, but his eyes met a book on Lily's night stand.  It was the quidditch book that Lily had bought for him, but she had totally forgot about it.

            "You read about quidditch?" he asked, his eyes fixed on the book.

            "Hmm?  Oh!" Lily saw the book and handed it over to James.  "That's for you.  I thought if I was going to buy five billion things, I should buy at least one thing for you.  Actually, it was going to be a bribe so you wouldn't be so mad at me for sneaking off.  But you can have it anyway!"

            James automatically began flipping through the pages.  He laid down next to Lily on his stomach, reading page after page.

            "Gee, I didn't know you liked to read so much," Lily said offhandedly while she snuggled under the covers.

            "Huh?  Did you say something?" James asked.

            "I said nothing," Lily grinned as she fell off into Happy Dandy land, dreaming of a wardrobe with a thousand dress robes.  Surprisingly, James was there dressed as Madam Malkin.

            For the next hour, James just read the book.  But after a while, the book began to be boring, and he fell asleep too.

            The scene was set.  It was perfect.  It was just Lily's plain room, and it was littered with empty shopping bags.  On her neat bed, she was fast asleep, and James was right next to her.  His head was resting on his book, but during their five hour nap, his arms had managed to close around Lily shoulders.

**Author's Note:**  Aww…how was it?  Good?  Bad?  Mediocre?   D'you think I'm going to fast as far with the L/J action?  For now they're just friends and falling asleep on the same bed was meant to just be an accident.  I was going to put in Remus and Peter in this chapter, but I decided to hold it off to the next chapter.  But I thought it was cute…hehe…so…..

REVIEW NOW!!!!!!!!


	5. Anguish over Amos

**Author's Note**:  I'm baaaaaack!  Aren't ya'll soooo ecstatic?  And THANK YOU for the beautiful reviewers!

            For some odd reason no one seems to like Amos that much.  Gee, I wonder why.  (J/k, I know why no one likes him.)  Trust me, I would gladly just kill him off already, but I put him in the story for a reason, okay?  He's going to play a major part later.  Right now, he's kind of a minor character.

And speaking of the Diggory's, this story was not going to be AU but doing the math, it's going to be a little AUish for the Diggory family.  But that isn't that important—who cares about them anyway?  J/k!!!

**Disclaimer:**  As usual, I don't anything that you recognize from Harry Potter.  It all belongs to the lovely and talented Jo Kathleen Rowling.  The only people I own are Anette (but she's not in this chapter) and Reagan Caldwell (She's only mentioned in a paragraph I think in this chapter).

My Demon Child 

**Chapter Five:**  Anguish over Amos

            On the next Saturday, Lily could be spotted rummaging through her closets looking for something suitable to wear.  In a few hours, she'd be with her _darling _Amos on a casual date, but she wanted to look her best.  At first, James was a little uneasy about the whole thing.  Lily assumed it was because he didn't want to risk her being spotted.  After about an hour argument, James decided to let Lily go.

            "Honestly, you're like my father or something," Lily said while rolling her eyes to him.

            She was able to go under the conditions that a.) She'd have to go in a disguise and b.) James would have to go also to keep an eye on her.  He wasn't going to be sitting with them at their table or anything.  In fact, he had his own date that he was going to accompany to the Three Broomsticks.

            James's new girlfriend was Reagan Caldwell, and Lily knew nothing about her.  James didn't talk about her much, but Lily was used to this behavior.  She remembered back at Hogwarts when James went on a "dating spree" that he only talked about his love and sports life, but never about the individual girl.

***

            "Ugh, I look absolutely horrible," Lily groaned as she and James walked into the Three Broomsticks.

            There was a warm, comfortable glow about the place.  It was getting dark outside, but in the inside the lamps were turned on, and there was a wonderful aura of butterbeer in the air.  Lily didn't spot Amos right away because she was too absorbed on how her disguise looked on her.  She had on the same brown wig from when she snuck out into Diagon Alley the previous Tuesday, and James forced her to do some fancy charm work on her face so she would look completely different.  Her face was now more thin and gaunt, and at one point during her magic, she accidentally added extra wrinkles to her complexion so she looked like a fifty-year-old still trying to look young.

            "Oh, there's Amos now," Lily whispered to James as she spotted Amos walk into the building and getting a table.

            "Go then," James prompted.  He tried to keep a straight face when Amos saw Lily in her disguise and saw him grimace.  Through his weak attempt, he whispered into Lily's ear, "He's going to think you're _byoo_—tiful."

            Lily stepped on James's foot and made her way towards Amos's table.  She quickly said, "Amos, it's me.  James forced me to disguise myself so no one would recognize who I am."

            Amos breathed in a sigh of relief and smiled.  He said, "Don't worry, no one is going to recognize you."

            "Ah, shut up," Lily smiled.  "I know I'm prettier than all of this."

            They ordered two butterbeers, and while sipping them away, they began to talk.  Amos tried to think of a subtle way to talk about the other woman, but he was too thick to say anything.

            "Uh, so…" Lily smiled.  It was then she noticed James greeting another woman.  She was extremely attractive with straight, long, dark brown hair.  She had a thin face, but her wide smile and dimples made up for it.  It seemed as if she were a model or something, because she was extremely skinny and was almost as tall as James—and James was tall.

            Amos cleared his throat and said nervously, "Well, L—Lily dear, um…hmm…we need to t-talk a-a-about the wedd—ding ."

            "Are you okay?" Lily asked him.  "Lately, you've been stuttering a lot—"

            "Well, I just get _so _nervous around you," Amos said quietly.

            Lily laughed out loud and cried, "Why?"

            "Well, when you were gone," Amos's cheeks began to go red—this was it, he was going to finally say the truth!—"You have to know that I grieved _so _hard.  You have _no _idea!"

            "Oh, honey, you don't have to talk about that," Lily soothed.

            "Yeah, I do," Amos interrupted, "because, well, our wedding—I kind of—I'm already—"

            "Let's talk about something else," Lily firmly stated.  She was scared about what was going to be on the other side of that sentence, and if he was cheating on her, she didn't want to find out right then.

            **But you need to find out right now.__**

****

****_Oh no, 'the voice of reality' is back._

**Now is the perfect time to mention that other woman you saw—he presented the topic anyway!  Just ask….aren't you getting married to him?**

_Yes, so I shouldn't be interrogating him—_

**Yes, you should be interrogating him!  For the truth!  Ah, for God's sake, Lily, ASK HIM!  IT'S KILLING YA!**

            "AmosIwasinDiagonAlleyandIsawyouwithanotherwomanwhowassheanswermenow!" Lily bellowed in one breath.

            "P—pardon?" Amos asked tensely.

            Lily took a deep breath and repeated, "Amos, I was in Diagon Alley and I saw you with another woman.  Who was she?"

            When Amos didn't answer after five minutes, her look became cold.  She could just imagine how she looked, a fifty-year-old wanting a twenty-something-year-old to fall in love with her.

            "_Who was she?_" Lily repeated with a voice full of malice.

            Amos mentally kicked himself.  To himself, he thought—_She's presenting the subject!  Now is your chance to tell her the truth!_  But Amos said nothing.

            "Amos—WHO WAS SHE?" Lily exclaimed.  She didn't care if a couple of people was staring at her looking at her as if she was some kind of freak.  She wanted an answer, and she was determined to get one.

            But she never got one.

            After another moment of silence, Lily stood up from her seat cursing with rage.

            "You are going to have to answer me sooner or later," Lily said tersely while getting up from her seat.  "Mark my words, _honey._  This night was rubbish.  Have a lovely evening Amos."

            She stomped over to James.  Her expression was full of anger and anguish towards Amos, that James looked a little shocked at her.

            "James, I'm going to go home—you can stay here with your date.  I'll see you later," Lily said quickly, and she walked out into the night so quickly so that James couldn't stop from leaving.

            Since it was still summer, the night wasn't that cold.  She decided to walk home cause she thought that perhaps she could walk off her fury.  Through her irritation, she didn't notice her wig flying off.  It was an uncommon sight to see an old lady walking, and all of a sudden her hair just flew off with the wind.  But in place of her fake her was real hair; shiny, dark, violent, red hair.

            And it was to Lily's unfortunate fortune that someone had seen her, and recognized who she was.

***

            Lucius Malfoy and Severus Snape just happened to be in Hogsmeade on that Saturday evening.  They were standing in front of Dervish and Bang's waiting for Lucius's wife, Narcissa and some of her friends, to meet them there.  Then they would apparate over to the Malfoy Manor and have one of their boring, little dinner parties while discussing about how many Muggles they tortured that day.  Well, that was just a guess.  Who knows what death eaters talk about if you're on their opponent's side?

            "How much longer must we wait?" Severus asked with resentment in his voice.  Of course, he loathed going over to the Malfoy Manor, but it wasn't like as if he could choose what he could do under the commands of both Voldemort and Dumbledore.

            "Patience is a virtue Snape," snapped Malfoy, "and although we don't really care for those petty virtues, they're good comebacks at Muggle-loving fools."

            Severus mentally swore when he saw an old woman—about fifty or so—walking by.  She looked as if she was talking to herself angrily.  Her arms were folded, and he was reminded of Frank Longbottom's mother.  The only thing she was missing was the vulture hat.  However, Severus soon found out that it wasn't some old lady, because Lily Evans was not old.

            A gust of air came, and it blew the old lady's hair away—to Severus and Malfoy's shock.  But in place of the ragged brown hair were locks of deep red.  The name _Lily _came into Severus's mind straight away, and he said out loud, "Lily?"

            "That's the Mudblood Evans girl!" Malfoy exclaimed.  In one swift move, he took out his wand and shouted some fancy curses (A/N:  sorry, but can't think of any 'fancy curses' at the moment.) and easily caught Lily within his grasps.

            "Oh my God," Severus gasped.

            "I'm apparating to Voldemort," Malfoy said quietly so no one but Severus could hear.  "You—follow me when Narcissa comes, okay?"

            And with that, Lucius Malfoy disappeared with a struggling Lily, to leave a failed Snape behind.  Under his breath, he muttered, "Potter be damned.  You can't be trusted with anything, can you?"

***

            Lily arrived in the all too familiar evil headquarters in the all too familiar corridor towards Voldemort's all too familiar room.  The death eaters guarding the door saw Lucius, his dark mark upon his arm, and the struggling red head.  With smiles, they let him enter.

            Voldemort was there already dressed in his usual black robes to conceal his looks.  He cringed at the sight of Lily, but at the same time felt immense satisfaction.  He forced Lily to sit down on a chair and had her tied down and gagged.  He put his hands together in a steeple like form and laughed quietly.

            "Lily, hello again," Voldemort grinned.

            Through her failed attempts because of the gag, she sputtered "I hate you!" but only muffles of sounds were heard.

            "Malfoy, good work," Voldemort continued, "Even my best death eaters couldn't track her down—but you managed to get her very easily, eh?"

            "Yes, very easy indeed," Malfoy smiled with pride, although he knew it was only by luck and total coincidence that he and Lily were at Hogsmeade on the same night.

            "Now, now," Voldemort said.  "How's life been suiting you since you escaped?"  He snapped his fingers, and the gag came loose, dangly around Lily's neck.

            "It was a hell lot better than bidding my time here," Lily gasped.

            "I will not take in such words.  You have a bad tongue there, Lily.  No one did ever like you.  I guess I'll be doing the whole world a service by killing you right now," Voldemort smiled with glee.

            "Are you sure?" Lily asked shrewdly.  When she saw the attention you got from Voldemort, she continued, "Because, I mean, I have something you want."

            "I've gotten over that business," Voldemort snapped, "and you're not pregnant.  We saw your last pregnancy test, it was negative—"

            "And yet, the truth is positive!" Lily laughed.

            Voldemort looked at her intently, and Lily had the vaguest idea that he was reading her mind.  But she didn't know how he could.

            "She's telling the truth," he hissed to Malfoy.  "Take her back to her old room.  Lock her up in there.  Lily, welcome back."

            Malfoy sniggered and grabbed Lily by her upper arm, making it very painful for her.  She staggered toward the door, and reluctantly walked with Malfoy out.

            In the next corridor, where there was no one and it was deserted, Lily wailed out in pain.  It wasn't because of Malfoy's firm grip, but because of that all too familiar pain in her womb.  It was that same feeling from Diagon Alley.  Her surroundings became blurry, and her head became heavier.  There was a kicking inside her stomach, and she submitted down to her knees.  She started to scream for the pain to stop, for everything to be normal again.  She wasn't aware on what was happening outside her body, all she concentrated on how to make the pain stop.  Also, her vision had gone immensely worse, and she couldn't see anything.  She rolled around in pain and agony, until everything became black.

***

            "All flustered and clammy," one voice of a stranger said.

            "That can't be too good for the baby," a female voice added.

            "Ah, who cares about the kid, it's corrupted already anyway," a gnarly voice grunted.

            Lily opened her eyes and saw she was lying on James's living room couch.  She was surrounded by blankets, pillows, and lots of strange people she didn't know, and was extremely comfortable.

            "What is going on?" she asked groggily, just noticing that she was drooling in her sleep.  She quickly wiped away the saliva and saw about thirty people crammed into the living room.  They were all sitting on chairs, and only a limited amount were sitting Indian style on the floor by Lily.  She saw James, Sirius, and to her immense satisfaction, she saw Remus Lupin and Peter Pettigrew!

Remus—brown haired, stressed, but nice man—and Peter—short, plump, blonde, and clumbsy—both smiled and waved at her.  She felt so happy to see them;  it was the same feeling as when she had seen Sirius for the first time in two years.  She recognized some other people like the Prewett's, Longbottom's, and Snape.  But there were so many people, and she was so tired, that she didn't feel like saying hi to them all just then.

When she saw Dumbledore at the head of the room standing up, she realized that she must have been at a meeting for the Order.  She guessed that for this particular meeting, it was being held at James's flat.  It was then she spotted that James was sitting right next to the couch she was resting on, right next to her head.

"Ah, Lily is awake!" Dumbledore proclaimed as if a royal child was born.  "How are you feeling?"

"Tired," Lily said through mid yawn.  "What happened?"

"Ask Potter," Severus sneered.  "I'm sure he knows, since you're in his custody after all."

James gave a look of daggars at Snape.

Dumbledore sighed and said, "I do not believe that this was of the fault of James.  I do think that this is of the fault of Lily, actually."

"_What?  _Okay, someone, tell me what happened," Lily stammered determinedly.

"You don't remember a single thing?" the gnarly voice asked.  She craned her neck over and saw Mad-Eye Moody, his regular eye facing her and the weird bulging eye going haywire.

Lily strained her memory and said, "Voldemort caught me, and I was going to be taken to my old room, because he—oh no.  Voldemort knows!  He knows that I'm pregnant!"

"At least you were not captured," Dumbledore said, trying to sound positive.  "I believe that's the second time you've escaped Voldemort, now isn't it?"

"But how?  What happened?" Lily questioned.

"I came," Severus said greasily.  "And frankly, I'm sick of saving you, you ingrate."

"_Snape!_"

"Sorry, Moody," Snape spat.  "but I arrived and caused a diversion.  Amidst the commotion, I apparated you back here where an emergency Order meeting was called for when Dumbledore found out you were gone."

"How did you know I was gone?" Lily asked to Dumbledore.

"I put a tracking charm on you," Dumbledore explained, "but all it does is tell me if you've been captured or not."

"And how is my being captured my fault?" Lily persisted.

            "Because you are so caught up in your freedom that you haven't realized yet that you're freedom is still very limited," Dumbledore replied briskly.  "I hate to see you cooped up like this, but you can't be doing rash decisions out in public just yet, even if you are in disguises.  And it was very unwise for you to go to Diagon Alley to shop or storm out of the Three Broomsticks without James."

            James whispered to Lily, "Sorry, had to tell him everything Lils—"

            "But now that everything is in order, and Lily is safe, there is really no point in this meeting," Dumbledore said to everyone, "but we will still continue.  Now, I think, would be a good time to present—"

            However, Lily went into a fit.  She rolled off the couch clutching her stomach wailing in pain again.  It was the same pain, same feelings, and the same dizziness as she felt before those two times she went through this.  After about a half hour, it all stopped, and Lily laid twitching.  She hated to go through these periods of agony.  She didn't know why she had them, and it was always during those period of pain that she seriously considered abortion.

            Dumbledore looked grave.  Some members of the Order, including James, helped her onto the couch.  Dumbledore retrieved something from another room;  it was a white, stone basin.  It was a pensieve.

            "Yes, now I think this would be a good time to present this particular memory," he said hoarsely and quietly.  Lily laid in sweat with baited breath with suspense to see what she was about to see.

            "Severus?  This is your pensieve after all—"

            "Yes, sir," Severus said in a more calm tone.  He walked over to his pensieve and racked through his memories until he found the one.  He bade the memory to rise for everyone in the room to see.

            An old, brittle woman was standing in the middle of a circular room.  She was draped in shawls and necklaces, and her eyes were heavily hooded.  She looked ancient, but there a mist of venerability around her.  In a dark, deep, hoarse voice that Lily would never think would be an old woman's voice, she said—

            "**_THE DARK LORD WILL RISE AND BE MORE POWERFUL THAN IMAGINEABLE TO CAUSE HAVOC AND HELL TO THE WIZARDING AND MUGGLE COMMUNITIES.  HE HAS ONE WEAKNESS THOUGH, A WEAKNESS THAT WILL BE BORN TO A WOMAN WITH RED HAIR AND EMERALD EYES.  THIS WEAKNESS OF THE DARK LORD WILL BE BORN TO EVANS, AND WIL LGROW TO HAVE POWER TO RIVAL THE DARK LORD…THIS CHILD WILL BE BORN WITH A POWER UNIMAGINEABLE TO THE DARK LORD…AND WITHIN THE WOMB, THIS CHILD BE STRONG TOO…_**"

            The memory disappeared back into the pensieve, and Snape took his seat again.

            "That woman was Voldemort's Seer who died shortly after her prediction was made," Dumbledore said.  "Voldemort tried to get hold of her great-granddaughter, Sybll Trelawny, to see if she could confirm the prediction, but he has not been able to contact her.  But as we can see, Lily is holding Voldemort's child, who should have power to rival the Dark Lord's.  So, now all we have to do is sit and wait for the child to be born, grow up, and kill Voldemort."

            "Gee, it sounds _so _easy," James said with an irritable look.

            "Dumbledore, these 'flashes of pain' I'm having," Lily started.  "Was that mentioned in the prediction?"

            "Yes," Dumbledore answered.  "However, I do not believe that it is a side effect of your pregnancy.  I think that because your child has the blood of Voldemort, it could be violent, even in the womb, and the violence is sparked whenever Voldemort is violent himself."

            "I would hate to be you right now, Lily," Sirius grinned.  Lily stuck her tongue out at him.

***

            It was around eleven that night.  Everyone but the original Marauders and Lily had left.  Lily remained on the couch sipping hot cocoa.

            "You okay?" James asked.

            "I'm all right," Lily sighed, looking intently at the game of wizards chess Sirius and Remus were playing.  Peter looked nervous at the game.

            "Relax Wormtail, no one's going to die in the game," Remus muttered.

            "Really?  Then I don't want to play this game anymore," Sirius joked.

            "Wimp," Remus whispered.

            Sirius peered his eyes Remus and said darkly but in a playful manner, "_What_ did you say to me?  You did NOT call Sirius Black a wimp!  Ah, you're going to have pay with your knight!"

            "Huh?"

            "Bishpo to D-5," Sirius sniggered as Remus's knight was thrown off the chess board.  "I'm better at this game than I thought."

            "You were just lucky!" Remus exclaimed.

            "Oh stop fighting!" Peter wailed.  A tear actually escaped his left eye.

            "Oh my dear Lordy Peter—are you crying?" Sirius exclaimed through laughter.

            "Ah, ickle sensitive Wormtail," James cringed.

            They all started to burst out laughing as Sirius conjured up some butterbeer.

***

            Voldemort was angry.  This was the second time that Lily had escaped from him right under his bloody nose, and he wasn't going to let her get away with it.  But now, he couldn't kill her.  He had to get his hands on that child—his demon child, in fact—and use that child against her.

            "Stupid mudblood, worthless piece of filth, vermin," he muttered under his breath. But no matter what he said, it wouldn't change anything.

            All hope was not lost for him, however.  When Lily left, he had gained two new pieces of information when he was reading her mind.  He had found out that 1.) Lily was pregnant and 2.) She was living in London.  So he had decided to make London his next target for his death eaters.

***

**A/N:**  I didn't put much of any of the Marauders in here, did I?  Sorry!  Next chapter is going to be a little bit more darker.  Now that your eyes are all sore from reading the computer screen, let it hurt just a bit more and review!


	6. A Quick Retreat, a Sudden Loss

**Author's Note:**  Hmm, only one review from last chapter.  I'm a little disappointed, but I'll live.  I don't want to be one of those people that go IF I DON'T GET TEN MORE REVIEWS BY NEXT WEEK, I'M DISCONTINUEING MY STORY!  All that tells people is that you're desperate and have little self confidence.

I don't know how to write fight scenes, especially between wizards, so the fight scenes in here are limited.  Yes, there are fight scenes in this chapter.

**Disclaimer:**  The Harry Potter series belongs to J.K. Rowling, so I own NONE OF THE HARRY POTTER STUFF, AITE?  However, I _do _own Anette and Caldwell.  On with the show!

My Demon Child 

**Chapter Six:  **A Quick Retreat, a Sudden Loss

            "If you find the mudblood, at all cost take her to me," Voldemort said sternly to his frightened death eaters.  "I don't want her dead, and if she is dead, I will kill her killer by torture."

            Snape shifted uneasily among his fellow death eaters.  He wasn't sure what he was going to do if he were to find Lily.  He couldn't kill her, but he couldn't hide her either; Voldemort would find out about his treachery, even if he was good at occlumency.

            The other death eaters had looks of hunger and were awaiting to kill and torture other Muggles and Muggle lovers.  The signal from Voldemort was the only thing keeping them from yelling out the killing curse.  The whole raid of death eaters and Voldemort were all huddled up by the border of London.  Voldemort had sensed that Lily was residing here, and he was determined to find her.

            It was about one in the morning, and London was sleeping quietly.  In any moment, it would be full of chaos.

            "Right, go and raise Hell," Voldemort screamed.  The death eaters scurried away from each other shouting curses, causing mayhem, and looking for the redheaded, wretched, mudblood.

***

            Lily stirred in her sleep.  She was sleeping peacefully, but something wasn't right.  There was something or someone out there moving in her room.  She wanted to catch it.  She opened her eyes, but all she saw was the darkness of the night spreading its shadows over the living room.  The familiar shapes of Sirius Black, Remus Lupin, and Peter Pettigrew were sprawled over the floor snoring peacefully.  A set of wizard chess was on the floor, the pieces still broken.  She noticed that there were many empty bottles of butterbeer littering the floor.

            One of the smaller windows in the living room was open, and the curtain was flying with the night wind.  She could hear there was a great deal of commotion going outside, and she could see lights going on and off.  Lily could hear explosions, but she wasn't sure why.  Were they fireworks?  Lily squinted in the dark and saw the clock, and it read 1:14.  This was not the day nor the time for any gangsters of any sort to cause mayhem in London.

            It was then she noticed that James was awake, and he was on all four's on the ground looking for something.

            "James?" Lily whispered in the dark.  "What are you doing?"

            "Oh—Lily, I'm trying to find my wand.  Lily, keep your head down, don't let them down there see you through the window," James said in a rush.  "Can you wake up the rest?"

            "Sure," Lily said promptly, "but whose down there?"

            "Death eaters," he replied in a most solemn voice.  "Do _not _let them see you."

            Lily shook Remus's shoulder and said, "Wake up, come on—"

            "Hmm?" Remus said absentmindedly.  He rubbed his eyes and looked around the room.  Through a stifled yawn, he said tiredly, "Blimey, am I drunk?"

            "No, you can't get drunk from butterbeer," Lily grinned.  "Now, come on and get up."

            Lily prodded Sirius at his shoulder with her forefinger, but he didn't move.  She said in a firm voice to wake up, but he didn't stir.  Remus smiled at her failed attempts and sat next to Sirius.  In a quiet but firm voice, he said, "Snivelly is beating you in quidditch—"

            "WHAT?" Sirius bellowed.

            "_Shut up!_" Remus said while covering his ears.  "I had to say that to get you up."

            "Why?  It's still night time—"

            "Reason #1, you'll get a cold by sleeping on the ground.  Reason #2, if we don't move now the death eaters are going to come and kill us," James answered.  "Not very pleasant actually."

"You have got to be kidding," Sirius whispered, risking a peek out the window.  And sure enough, masked people were running around laughing while emitting curses into the air.

            After James found his wand and Peter woke up, the five people were ready to leave.  Lily retrieved James's invisibility cloak, and they strode outside the apartment building.

            The raid has just begun, so only parts of London now were covered in a fire and screaming victims.  James wasn't used to sitting out on the sidelines though;  he was more accustomed to going out and doing the saving stuff.  However, he knew Dumbledore was counting on him to keep Lily safe.  He had to because he already let Lily almost slip a couple of times already.

            "Okay, Sirius and I are going to go over and try to you know—help and—and wait for the reset of the Order members and Aurors to come," Remus said.

            "_I _am an auror!" James complained.

            "You are also on a job for Dumbledore, Prongs," Sirius reminded him.

            "Right, and don't worry James," Remus started when he saw James's irritated expression, "once you get Lily to safety, you can come and help us.  Now, go!  We'll, uh, we'll try to distract them for now so you and Lily will have a good head start, okay?"

            "Fine," James muttered.

            "James, stop making me feel like a burden," Lily said.  She outstretched her invisible arms (she was wearing the invisibility cloak) and tugged at James, startling him.

            They were walking towards another Order of the Phoenix stations in a hurry as Lily wanted to be safe and James wanted to fight.  Lily pulled the cloak around her, but behind her an explosion went off.

            "How can you just stand that?" James asked, with a hint of anger in his voice.  "Don't you feel any anger whatsoever or pity or anything?"

            "No, James, I don't feel anger or pity for anyone.  I'm a heartless girl who thinks torturing fellow "mudbloods" is just great fun.  Of course I care James!  But I can't fight and I'm not as brave as the rest of you.  Okay?  So, for now, I just want to get over to the Order place thingy so you can go out and be some girl's knight in shining armor," Lily snapped.  "Can't you walk any faster?" she continued, "If we don't get there soon I'm going to be limping over to the Order cause most likely, I'm going to be feeling that weird stomach pain again."

            James nodded and squinted into the distance, "Where are you?"

            Lily stepped on his foot to give him and idea where she was walking.

            "Ouch—thanks."

            They had walked twenty blocks when they heard another explosion with a big BANG!  Behind them, masked men were running around crazy shouting at the top of their lungs, acting worse than drunkards.  Trees were falling down, and muggles and other innocent people were running, hands over their heads.  But what made James really turn around was the high pitch screaming of a single girl.

            "_Aaaaah!  Nooo!_"

            "I know that voice…."  James said, his voice trailing off.  "Anette…"

            Lily hit her head and said, "James, aurors, hit wizards, and members of the Order are already there.  She's going to be okay."

            "No, no she's not," James said, his foot twitching.  "She's only a teenager."

            "If we can hear her from twenty blocks, Sirius and Remus will be able to hear her from two blocks, and they are two blocks away from her," Lily reminded him, but she too was getting worried about the safety of others now.  She couldn't block out their screams anymore.

            Then they heard another scream from the same location.

            "How come no one's getting into the apartment building?" James asked with rage.

            Then they heard another one of her screams, but this one seemed to never end.  She was in pain.

            "Okay, James, go—go help her out then," Lily said while waving her hand although no one could see it.  "The death eaters won't be able to see me in this cloak, so just tell me where the station is."

            "Can't, only Dumbledore can tell you cause he's the secret-keeper for all stations.  Lily, just—just wait here, okay?  And run if death eaters come up this way.  I have to go—"

            "I know you have to go—so GO!"

            James sprinted down the street and Lily saw him retreating into their flat.

***

            James dashed into the hallway of the building, but as soon as he entered the fifth floor, all he saw was smoke, ashes, and fire here and there.

            "Bloody death eaters," he cursed under his breath.  He coughed once or twice into his robes and put his wand in front of him.  He walked stealthily passed doors towards Anette's home.  About a minute later, he heard the voices…

            "We know she lives real close to you—girl, _where is she_?" came the voice of a man with a gruff voice and malice.

            "I don't know—I swear—please don't hurt me again," Anette whimpered through sobs.  She sounded so helpless and pathetic that James would have had the pleasure of strangling that death eater.  "Why would I know who she is anyway?"

            "Because we know she lives right across the hall from you," the death eater said more loudly.  James peaked into the room and saw Anette and her long hair draped over her shoulders.  She was on the ground on her back.  She was trembling like mad, but there were about five death eaters surrounding her with their wands pointed at her face.

            "_Who lives across the hall from you, girl_?" the same man snarled.

            Then a woman's voice cackled, "We don't have all day.  Now where is she?"

            "I DON'T KNOW!"  Anette screamed, still crying.  "The only people who live across the way is James and Bernadette!"

            "You lie," the woman said in a voice full of disgust.  "_Crucio._"

            Anette began screaming again.  James, full of adrenaline and hatred, bolted into the room and knocked about two death eaters unconscious onto the floor.  To his surprise, all of the death eaters were unmasked.  To his even greater surprise, he saw he knocked Severus Snape to the floor.

            He recognized the remaining three death eaters.  They were Malfoy, Lestrange, and Macnair.  He hardly knew them from school, but he still recognized them.  Apparently, they recognized him too.

            "_Ah, _James Potter!" Lestrange said with glee.  "I remember you, you were that annoying bast---"

            "Enough chit chat already!" Lucius screamed.  "_Crucio!_"

            James dodged the curse and ran next to Anette's lifeless body.  He took out his wand and shouted, "_Petrificus totalus!_"

            The spell was aimed for Malfoy, but he ducked and it hit Macnair right in the face instead.  He keeled over and fell as hard as a log.  James quickly pointed his wand at Malfoy again, but Lestrange jumped from behind and tackled him to the floor.

            "Sorry Potter," she whispered through gasps in attempt to keep James down.  "But you see, I never really liked you so I feel no pity for you.  You're probably here protecting Evans.  I, on the other hand, am trying to kill her."

            She stood up and kept her wand steady while pointing it at James's chest.

            "Good, Lestrange.  At least you're good for something," Malfoy snickered.

            "Malfoy, shut up.  I'm improving.  Soon, I shall be the Dark Lord's greatest supporter."

            "I'm assuming 'soon' is a couple of years then?"

            "No, 'soon' is now," Lestrange said with the widest smile.  "And do you know why Potter?  Because I'm going to present the Dark Lord a present of Evans.  And if I can't get that wretched mudblood, I'm sure you will do just fine."

            James took out his wand and was ready to curse her hair off, but Lestrange shouted, "_Crucio!_"

            James yelled with pain and terror.  He writhed and jerked over the floor just wanting to die.  He continued yelling, he could stop, but no matter what the pain would not be released from his body strong as it was.  He screamed and pleaded for her to stop, but it was a couple of minutes before Lestrange took the curse off.

            He remained like a heap on the ground unconscious.

            "Yes, Potter, I never liked you.  You came to protect Evans, and I came to kill her.  But I guess the Dark Lord will have to kill you first.  Malfoy, he's alive but not conscious.  Let's get him to the Dark Lord."

***

            Lily was frantic now.  It's been over an hour since James left, and still he hadn't returned.  Lily blamed it all on herself.  James probably couldn't find her, and Lily shouldn't have left him left…but still, she continued to panic.

            She had no idea where she was at the moment.  The chaos and hellish atmosphere had spread throughout London, and Lily didn't know where to go.  All she did was run until she found an area where there were no death eaters.  However, those spaces were nonexistent.  Lily was crouched behind a dumpster in who knows where praying that no one would find her.

            And then, it hit her.  The stomach pains began, and she was on the floor silently crying to herself.  She was desperately hoping that whoever Voldemort was torturing or killing right now, it wasn't James.  At the moment, Amos Diggory was not in her mind.

***

            Sirius, Remus, Peter and other aurors were fighting around the Leaky Cauldron.  Some Muggles were asleep, but most of them were crying looking out of their tweed windows.  By the minute, more people were falling to the floor injured or dead.

            "This is going to take one hell of a memory charm to make all these Muggles forget what they're seeing now," Remus yelled over to Sirius while cursing a death eater.  Just then, two death eaters pounced on him, but another auror came and cursed them.

            "You okay?" Sirius asked Remus while stunning a death eater.

            "Yeah.  D'you think James and Lily are okay?" Remus asked in return.

            Peter shrugged.  Sirius nodded.

            Surrounding the three Marauders and aurors were more masked death eaters closing in on them, but the positive side was giving a good defense.  The ground was littered in injured bodies, but this was a battle and a side had to win.  And they were winning.

***

            It took a better of an hour for Lily to walk back to her flat with James although if it the conditions were different she could have reached their in ten minutes.  Her stomach's pain would not cease to lessen, so she had to remain in agony.  It was a risk, she knew, to go back because death eaters could be there.  But she couldn't remain under an unsanitary dumpster.  And after all, she was still wearing James's cloak.

            To her surprise, all the death eaters around her flat had evacuated.  It was dead silent with only some lamp posts flickering.  It was relatively clean compared to other parts of London.

            Lily, with caution, made her way to the elevator.  She noticed that the windows were broken, walls were scratched, paintings ripped, furniture trampled on, and the once beautiful building utterly damaged.  The old grandfather clock was the only thing that was working.  It was three: thirty.

            When Lily reached the fifth floor, she limped over to her room while holding her stomach.  She wasn't sure if James was there since he never returned to her.  She saw the door to Anette's place open.  Inside, she saw Anette crouched on the couch hugging her knees.  She was weeping heavily and she looked badly injured.

            "Anette?" Lily asked in the dark.  Anette jerked her head to Lily and stuttered, "B—Bernadette?"

            "Huh?  Bernadette?" Lily questioned.  Then, when she realized that she had lied about he name before said, "Oh, right.  Um, my goodness, what happened to you?"

            Lily tried to keep a steady voice and act normal, but she was ready to just fall over.  She had muster all her strength, but her strength was waning.  She made her way over to a comfortable chair and rubbed her stomach.

            "The death eaters," she said in a deadly whisper, "they came…they tortured…he came…they tortured….they took…."

            "Hmm?" Lily asked again, only half listening.  "What happened?"

            Anette faced her and said in a choking voice, "The death eaters came here.  I don't know, but they were looking for someone.  Don't know why they thought the person was here."

            Lily stopped everything and looked at Anette with horror.  They had been searching for her, and they knew where she lived now.

            "They were looking for some girl named Lilac or something like that.  But I never heard of her, so they started to, to hurt me and stuff.  Then, James came.  He came.  He came."

            "Go on," Lily prompted.

            "He came.  And he fought them, but two of them caught him and took him….somewhere.  I don't know where," Anette said.  She began to sob nonstop.  It was then that Lily's stomach violently lurched in different directions, and Lily cried out in pain.  She fell off the chair and squirmed over the floor clutching her stomach.  It felt like her first cramp, and that cramp had been horrible.  This wasn't something she could just walk off but something that she had to endure until Voldemort stopped whatever pain he was causing.  And Lily had more than a hunch that the pain Voldemort was inflicting was on James.

***

            "_Crucio_," Voldemort said once again for what seemed like the millionth time that night.

            And for what seemed the millionth time that night, James Potter fell to the floor at the feet of the merciless Voldemort, screaming but unyielding any information.  There were many times he was close to say something about Lily, but he didn't.  Although nothing in auror training prepared him for almost an hour's worth of torture, he endured.  He wasn't on the brink of going insane yet, and Voldemort could now tell that there was no use in torturing this "Potter boy."  He needed a new approach.

            He took the curse off and sighed in frustration.

            They were in Voldemort's castle in the most largest hall.  All the death eaters that remained behind from the London raid were present at his tortures.  They all cheered Voldemort on, but he wouldn't crack.

            "So, James Potter, you decide to play the role of a chivalrous, modest, humble, heroic wizard, do you?" Voldemort snarled.

            James was too stubborn and weak to answer or move his head.

            Voldemort continued, "I'll take that as a yes.  But pray tell why you do this to yourself?  What is there to be gained to hide from me?  Nothing.  What is there to be lost by hiding from me?  _Everything_.  I'm not even going to kill Evans.  I just want to know where she is.  After all, _whose child is she caring_?"

            "The devil's," James managed to mutter.

            Everyone in the room laughed.  Voldemot slapped his thigh and cackled for the whole room to hear.

            "Potter, you do realize I take that as a compliment?"

            "You take it as a compliment, but then again, who even takes any heed of _your _existence?" James said quietly.

            "Potter, you just chose your death day," Voldemort snapped.  "And trust me, that day is very near.  I will question you later.  Someone—ah, Nott and Crabbe, accompany Mr. Potter to Evans's old room.  And don't hurt him on the way.  After all, he is our new guest here.  _And you two better bloody make sure he doesn't escape._"

***

            The next morning, it was obvious that Voldemort's raid in London was in vain and an utter embarrassment to him because it was truly unsuccessful.  But it was at a cost, for James Potter was never found.

            Sirius refused to register the thought that perhaps James was dead.  They were best friends since their first year at Hogwarts, and Sirius knew James like he knew the back of his hand.  He knew James could withstand enormous pain, and although Voldemort was one of the most powerful and terrifying wizards ever, Sirius believed that James was still alive.  Most likely, his stubbornness was due to the thought that if James was dead, he, Sirius, would be in too much grief to bear.

            Lily was removed from James's flat and into Dumbledore's custody.  She wasn't sure what to believe just then.  People might believe James was dead, but people once believed Lily was dead too.  And she was still breathing, wans't she?  And Lily figured that James was too an important of a pawn to Voldemort, that Voldemort wouldn't dare to kill him just yet.  James was just a vessel full of information on the one person Voldemort was interested in the most.  Yes, James knew just about everything about Lily and her whereabouts.

            However, the hours dragged on.  It wasn't long before Lily began thinking, "wasn't it just last week that James was scolding me for shopping?"

            James was taken on July 16.  Today, it was September 16.  Everyone, except Sirius, was beginning to think that James Potter was dead.

***

            There was one good thing that came from this mess.  Now that Voldemort knew about Lily and her being alive, Dumbledore had granted her more freedom.  She could now go out when she wanted without a disguise or chaperone of any kind.  There was no risk of exposure because she was already exposed.  But now, on this particular day, Lily felt no joy from shopping or going out in the public.  Today, it was officially announced that James was dead.

            Lily was taking advantage of her freedom and traveled to London, England from Hogwarts in Scotland by floo powder.  It was around three that afternoon, and Lily had been standing in front of the late James Potter's flat for an hour.  She couldn't let herself go in.

            _Two hours….two hours…two hours since it's been official that he's been dead…_

            His belongings hadn't been touched, so everything in there was the same.

            The infamous Amos Diggory, just happened to be walking down that very same street that day.  He spotted Lily and the look of grief on her face.  He, too, heard about James's death.  But to his surprise, there were no tears on her face.

            "Lily, dear?" Amos said.  Lily jerked from her trance toward the flat and looked at Amos.  For the first time, she didn't smile at his presence.  For a moment, Lily had forgotten that they were engaged.

            "Oh, hi," Lily said dully.

            "Are you okay?" Amos asked.  He closed the gap between them.  His face was just inches from hers.

            "Yeah," Lily sighed.  The closeness between her and Amos was something that she had been yearning for, but that had been before James died.  It wasn't the same anymore.  She didn't want that closeness with Amos anymore. She wanted that closeness with a man who was dead.  She wanted that closeness with James.

            With these thoughts, Lily turned to face Amos and sobbed into his shoulder.

            "No!" she exclaimed.  "I'm not okay!  He was supposed to be alive and here, but he's dead!  Amos, he's dead!  HE'S DEAD!  And what did I do to return his generosity and hospitality?  I _shopped_!"

            Amos didn't understand a word she was saying.  What was so bad about shopping?

            Lily continued to cry, but about after twenty minutes her tears began to subdue.

            "You know, Amos," she sniffled, "I reckon none of this would have happened—"  she hiccupped—"—if I wasn't pregnant.  If I didn't have _my demon child_."

            Amos hugged her tighter.  He said, "Shh, Lily, everything's going to be okay…"

            But among his shushing, Lily managed to say through hiccups and sobs, "Amos, I've been seriously considering abortion now."

            "_What_?" Amos exclaimed.  He let go of Lily and grabbed hold of her shoulders and looked her straight in the eyes.  "Lily, this isn't like you.  You don't do this kind of rash stuff—"

            "No, I've seriously been thinking about this.  It's too late for any healers to do anything, I mean, I'm already three months pregnant.  But, there are other ways I suppose of _extinguishing_…"

            "Lily, I know you're going through a hard time, but make this decision after you're done grieving!"

            "Amos, you know you want me to get rid of this child.  Come on!  You're marrying a pregnant woman!  Do you really want to raise a child that was never yours?  Do you?"

            "No."

            "So, I've been thinking really hard about my kid and our wedding.  Amos, let's just have a quiet wedding.  Okay?  Let's have it real soon.  I can't—_I can't_—think about James.  It's too horrible.  I don't want to be crying.  So, I want to get my mind off things and think about our wedding."

            Amos began to perspirate.

            "Let's get married on Christmas.  I know it's kind of soon, but won't it be nice?  A small, Christmas wedding?" Lily asked eagerly.  She put her back towards the flat building.  Tears continued to stream down her face.

            "Lily, if you didn't want to think about James, then why did you come here?" Amos asked, daring not to answer the question.

            The tears began to fall faster now.

            "I hate to talk about this," Lily said.  "But I came here as a last good bye.  I guess.  A last personal bye because we both lived here.  I guess.  His funeral won't be all that personal to me."

            Amos nodded.

            "But Amos, let's not think about death.  What do you think?  A nice Christmas wedding?" Lily prompted.

            Amos stared at her.  He didn't want to see her grieve anymore, but the truth had to come out sooner or later.  The later he delayed this, the worse things would be between them.  But Lily was so vulnerable and pitiful.  And he did love her.  They did promise years ago to wed.  They did promise years ago to spend every last moment together.

            "Lily, I don't think we should get married," Amos said in a final voice and apparated away in shame.

***

            "I never thought the day would come when Mr. Potter's funeral would be planned," Dumbledore sighed out of heartache.  "This is just horrible."

            "Yes," Snape snarled, who was standing right next to Dumbledore in one of the Hogwarts court yards.  "Very, horrible," he added in a sarcastic tone that Dumbledore chose to ignore.

            "Severus, you are quite sure that Voldemort has killed him off?" Dumbledore asked.  To Snape, this was the thousandth time people from the Order have asked him this annoying question.

            "You already know the answer to that," Snape said.  "I don't know what became of Potter.  I have never seen him within the Dark Lord's castle, but everyone knows that he was once in there, if not still in there.  My rank within the dark circle is not high enough so that such information is disclosed to me."

            "Very well, very well," Dumbledore said.  "We better go inside now.  I heard it's going to rain."

            And as if on cue, a raindrop fell upon Snape's hooked nose.  His face turned red with frustration.

**A/N**:  Feedback time!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  (That means it's time to review.)

And I don't know what's my problem, but I can't manage to incorporate the rest of the Marauders into the story!  Garg on me!


	7. The Rash Action of YouKnowWho

**Author's Note**:  Hello my peoples!  Haha, I'm real hyper right now.  I just came back from swimming, and there's like all this adrenaline stuff in me that's keeping me all happy and stuff.  All right, I'll shut up.  Now, there are some people I need to talk to…

To Wo Ai Ni16, I just want to say thank you!  You've always written nice, long reviews and have always been so nice!  You're always helping me out and encouraging me!  I don't usually write out personal messages to reviewers unless I have to, but I thought I should for you cause you are so incredibly cool! 

To 'Confuzzled' I'm real sorry you got confused on their ages.  I know I'm not always the most precise and informative person in the world.  Um, let me try to clear up the confusion.  Lily and James are both 20, but since Lily's been cooped up with Voldemort her mind kinda got all messed up and she thought she was 26.  I don't remember typing up that James was 23, and I'm real sorry!!!  They're both 20 no matter what else I typed up!

And to my other reviewers, THANK YOU!  I've been thinking if I should do personal thank you's from now on….hmm, I'm still thinking…

**Disclaimer:**  Everything you recognize from Harry Potter belongs to J.K. Rowling.  Got it?  Good.

**Author's Note:**  Okay, to tell the truth, the only reason I put in James's "supposed" death is because I had to find some way for Lily and James to escape from Voldemort three times each as it said in the fifth book.  So it's not going to be that big of an event.  Or maybe it will, maybe I'll find some kind of way to expand on it.  But I have my own plot to carry out, or read on!

My Demon Child 

**Chapter Seven:**  The Rash Action of You-Know-Who

_Knock.  Knock.  Knock._

"Bugger off, won't you?" Lily hissed silently to the door.

Lily stood up from her rocking chair, which had once belonged to Dumbledore's grandmother, and walked slowly as possible to the door.  The only thing that kept her from sitting peacefully was the annoying, persistent, knocking.

This room was nothing compared to what James had provided.  Dumbledore was kind and almost like a grandfather to Lily, but with all his good deeds, it just wasn't the same.  Lily had received a vacant room at Hogwarts because being under Dumbledore's custody meant living at his residence, which was Hogwarts.  It was more like an echoing box.  The walls were of stone but were lavished in portraits and tapestries.  It looked more like a sixteenth century cell than a modern day bedroom.  Everything was covered in rugs and carpets, and almost everything was somehow related to magic.

Lily's bed, for example, always shook and quaked at five: thirty in the morning.  It was rather annoying.  But Lily liked her bed all the same.  If she was nice to it, her bed would compliment her hair even if it was greasy and unbrushed.  It was a canopy bed without a canopy.  She felt like a princess here.  An ancient princess.

Lily opened the door and saw to her surprise, Anette.

"Anette?" Lily said.  It was around lunch time, but Lily hadn't gone down to the Great Hall or anything.  In fact, she was still in her night dress.

"Hi, Berna—I mean, Lily," Anette smiled.  "I just thought I'd drop by cause I heard you were living here now.  You know…"

"Don't you have class?" Lily inquired.

"Not for another hour," Anette replied.  "I'm all caught up on my homework and had nothing to do.  That's why I came to visit you."

Lily nodded.  And then it hit her to have some etiquette and opened the door wider.

"Did you want to come in or anything?  It's a bit cramped, sorry, I wasn't expecting anyone—"

"Oh, it's all right," Anette said gratefully.  She walked in, and to Lily's frustration, sat in the rocking chair.

Lily took a seat on her bed and tried to think of something to say.  "I forgot you still went to Hogwarts, that's why I was a little surprised at seeing you just now."

"Oh, right.  I'm in my seventh year now, so I'll be out of here soon enough," Anette said.

Lily surveyed the young girl.  Her blonde hair was in a bun with strands of hair escaping while framing her face.  Her eyes looked almost watery, and she looked so pitiful.  It seemed so unnatural.  Lily had always thought her to be some kind of ditz, but maybe Anette was still mourning like Lily.

"Are you okay?  You seem a bit down," Lily said.

"Do I?  Everyone's been saying that," Anette said hastily.  "Had a nice summer?"

Lily raised her eyebrows at her quickness to change the subject.

"It could've been a lot better," Lily sighed.  She remembered all the times she cried, all the times she succumbed to her stomach pains, and that one time Amos had told her the truth about his feelings about their engagement.  But Lily didn't feel like disclosing such information to a teenager and smiled weirdly.

"Ditto.  Mum's in St. Mungo's now.  The Death Eaters completely screwed her up," Anette said in a fierce voice.  Her voice was firm, and her eyes looked as if on fire.  "I swear, I'm going to kill them all."

"Good, cause I'm in no state to kill them myself," Lily said while stretching across her bed to grab some spare robes from the other side of her bed.  She put one on so she looked more casual.

"Right.  Of course.  Is it nice being back?  You know, in the wizarding world?" Anette questioned.

"Heavens, yes, it is!" Lily exclaimed.

"It must be horrible with You-Know-Who," Anette whispered.  She drew her knees towards her and hugged herself.  Her eyes with closed shut as if trying to block out sunlight or something.  To Lily, this looked most unusual.

"Anette, are you sure you're all right?" 

"I'm fine," Anette said firmly, but her eyes remained closed.  "Lily, the reason I came here is because I want to, you know, talk, about, about what happened before."

"Huh?" Lily said stupidly.

"When James was kidnapped," Anette blurted out.

Lily just stared at the young woman.  How serious was Anette about James?  Wasn't it just some little crush?  Of course no matter what she would feel some remorse for him, but was it this bad?

"How close were you and James?" Lily asked, her eyes narrowed.

"We were just neighbors, nothing more," Anette said sadly.  "I had this major crush on him, but it died down after a while.  But I was always perky around him.  We had no special relationship, like he had with you—"

"We had no special relationship either," Lily interrupted, "We were always just friends."

"Not uh," Anette grinned evilly.  "You're not Bernadette Groper, you're Lily Evans.  Everyone in the wizarding world knows you now.  And I know more about you than you think.  My brother, Frank, told me all about him and James when they were at Hogwarts.  You and James dated before, didn't you?"

"It meant nothing.  It was absolute rubbish.  We were just wasting our time," Lily said hastily.  But as she spoke these words, she recalled all those giddy feelings she used to feel when he was around.

"_Sure_," Anette said.

"Listen, he's dead, there's no use on talking about this," Lily said sternly.

***

"_What in the name of Merlin are you doing, Padfoot?_" Remus asked in a deathly tone.

"They'll be here soon to get Prongs's things, but they don't understand that we're not 100% sure he's dead," Sirius said while munching on some potato chips.  He had taken out a lawn chair and placed it in front of James's flat door right smack in the hallway.  He had charmed the door to remain locked and spit at any people besides himself who tried to open the door.

"So you think by charming a door and _sitting_ in front of his door is going to stop trained Ministry members from retrieving his stuff?" Remus said quite amused.  He leaned against the opposite wall and folded his arms.  "You always were stubborn.  And loyal, like a dog."

"I take that as a compliment," Sirius snapped.  He held his chips out and said, "Hungry?"

"Nah, those things have too much grease," Remus refused.

"Ah, you're right.  We see Snivellus enough times at the Order meetings," Sirius chuckled.

"But honestly, I don't want to believe he's dead either.  But everything points to it—"

"Lily was kidnapped for two years and everyone thought she died, but she's been alive and healthy, hasn't she?" Sirius pointed out.

"That's because there was a prophecy made about her.  Do you think there's a prophecy out there made about James?"

"You know, Moony, I don't get why you're giving up so easily.  It's only been two months—"

"I'm not giving up easily!  I still can't believe that he could be dead!  Do you see tears on my face—?"

"Boys don't cry."

"_Padfoot!_  I'm just being open."

"You're being open that James is dead!" Sirius exclaimed.

"Because that is very plausible, Padfoot.  But I'm not saying he'd dead either."

"You don't make any sense at all Moony," Sirius said irritated.

Remus sighed and looked at James's door.  He shook his head, but his frustration didn't wear off.  After about a couple of minutes, he said, "You know what?  You're right.  I'm not making any sense.  Black, replicate that chair.  I'm boycotting with you."

"Atta boy," Sirius laughed.  He whipped out his wand and conjured up another lawn chair.  Remus sat down, and together they ate potato chips.  They were a happy, little party, but things would change once the Ministry members would arrive. 

"And it's not boycotting, it's, ah, protesting."

"Same difference," Remus smirked.

"So, do you know when the Ministry members are coming?" Remus asked.

Sirius shrugged.  He said vaguely, "Soon."

***

"Lily!" Amos exclaimed the next morning.  It was cold, foggy, and six in the morning.

Lily was standing on Amos's front porch.  She had on a dark blue coat, brown leather pants, red scarf, and red beanie to cap it all off.  Her face looked pale and her teeth were chattering.  However, she looked defiant and furious.  Her arms were wrapped around her stomach, which Amos noted, was now more rounder and conspicuous.

"Hello, Amos," she said firmly.

"Oh, um, I didn't expect you here so early in the morning—hey!  What do you think you're doing?" he exclaimed as Lily let herself inside.  It was nice, warm, and quaint, and Lily was grateful for the change in the climate.  She seated herself on a green couch and took off her beanie and scarf.

"Sorry hun, but it's kinda cold out there," Lily said offhandedly.

Amos was dressed only in boxers and a bath robe that was tied very messily.

"What are you doing here?" Amos asked severely.

"Amos, if anyone should be talking in that tone, it should me," Lily glared.

Amos wiped his brow and asked, "Does anyone know you're here?"

"Oh, Dumbledore said I could come here.  In fact, he was the one who gave me your address.  But I'm not staying with him forever.  No, when the Ministry finds another good auror, I'm moving in with him or her."

"Lily, why are you here?"

Lily stopped her rambling and dug into her pocket.  Her pocket was deep and full of odd trinkets that it was a while before she got what she needed.  She pulled out a beautiful ring.  It had a gold wristband with a giant diamond perched on it.

"You gave this to me years ago when you first proposed," Lily said, trying to jog back his memory.  "And now, since you think that we shouldn't get married, I'm reluctantly giving it back to you."

She reached over and grabbed his hand.  She opened up his hand and put the ring in his sweaty palm.

"What went wrong?" Lily asked very slowly and very quietly.

Amos stared into her green eyes and gulped loudly.

"We're going to be talking for a while, aren't we?"

"Oh, you better count on it."

***

            "You know, Potter, last week it was officially announced that you've been dead for two months," Voldemort laughed.  In the small torture chamber, he peered over at the limp body of James.  His clothes were tattered and he had a cut lip.

            "Is it really worth it?  I mean, you're youth is being reduced to absolute nothingness for one stupid Mudblood who thinks you're dead as well," Voldemort said.

            "Hold on," James panted.  "The whole wide world thinks that I'm—that I'm _dead_?"

            "Yes, they do," Voldemort replied.

            James brain began to think hard and logically.  Without a back glance or anything of the sort, James said quietly but steadfastly, "Then, I guess there's no reason to hide the truth from you."

            "What?" Voldemort asked, shocked.

            "I'll tell you where Lily is.  I'll tell you where she lived.  But, in return, you'll let me free, right?"

***

            "Okay, so far, this is what I know.  I was kidnapped and you mourned for me for about a year.  Then, the rest is absolutely blank," Lily started.  "So tell me the rest."

            "Well, I—I—"

            "Get on with it!"

            "You see, I met this other woman—"

            "Oh, great!  This is a classic soap opera!  You met this other woman!"

            Lily stood up in rage and ran her hand through her hair.  After about a couple of minutes of just absentmindedly playing with her hair, she realized that James used to do that.

            "So, tell me," Lily hissed.  She started to advance on him, making him hopeless in her shadow.

            "Is she pretty?  Talented?  Does your grandmother like her?  Were you dating her even when I came back?  Why didn't you tell me before?  Have you hugged her?  Kissed her?  Slept with her?  Once you two get married, are you going to have kids?  Wait, hold on—are you two going to get married?"

            "Stop interrogating me Lily."

            "Sorry," Lily said somberly.  She retraced her steps back to the couch and fell on it.  Some tears started to pour from her eyes, but she remained calm.

            "Lily, honey—"

            "Oh don't 'honey' me," Lily snapped, "because now you have a new 'honey!'  Its just my luck, isn't it?  Kidnapped, humiliated, raped, pregnant with Voldemort's kid, James dies, and now my engagement is off cause _someone _just had to fall in love with another someone!"

            "Is there anything you want me to do?" Amos asked sympathetically.

            Lily looked at him.  Her eyes were now moist, and the tears were just streaming down.  Their eyes locked, and Lily said monotonously, "Yes.  I want you to give me that ring back and say you love me."

            Amos hung his head.  He opened his hand to reveal her ring.

            "If you want, you can have it."

            "No.  Go sell it.  Burn it.  Do something with it so I'll never have to see it again."

            Lily leaned back in her seat and folded her arms.  She wanted to leave, but she didn't want to look like a coward.  Her eyes lingered around the house.  Her eyes fell on the fire place and the mantle above it.  It was adorned with photographs that were moving.  One particular one hit her hard.  It was on a cruise ship of some sort.  Amos was on it.  He was beaming, and his right arms was wrapped around…her…

            She wasn't 100% sure, but her hunch was impossible to ignore.  She stood up and walked stone like toward the photograph.

            "Lily…what are you doing…?"

            "Yeah, so she is pretty," Lily muttered.  She could really feel her tears now.  They were stinging.  She had to get out.

            "Uh, I might come back later or owl you some time," Lily said in a hurried voice.  "But I really have to go now."

            Just then, the fireplace was illuminated by green fire and an old man's face appeared.  Lily gave a little scream but managed to calm down.

            "Amos, you ready?  We've been waiting for nearly ten minutes now!" he exclaimed.  He had a small mustache and a distinct chin.  All of his hair was gray, but that wasn't saying much as he was practically bald.

            "Merlin!  I forgot, sorry, I'll be right over.  Let me just put on some—some other clothes, and I'll be back," Amos said.  His voice was panicky, and he was running fast as he raced down the hall towards his bedroom.

            "Who are you, Missy?" the old man asked, his face now pointed to Lily.

            "I'm Lily Evans, sir," she said quietly.  "What's wrong?  What's happening?"

            "Oh, Miss Evans, I see.  Sorry I have to be the one to tell you, but today a select number of Ministry members are going over to the late Mr. Potter's flat.  We have to clear it up," he explained solemnly.

            Lily's eyes widened.  The other day when she had visited his flat to say her last personal good bye, she wasn't able to do it with Amos coming over.  And now they were taking his stuff?  Without a last good bye or anything, she bolted out of the house and hailed a muggle taxi cab.

***

            For the first time since arriving at Voldemort's head quarters, James was sitting quite normally on a chair across from Voldemort.  He looked thin and tired, but overall a lot better, considering his treatment for the past two months.

            _How did Lily ever survive this?  For two years too!_

            "You are sure that's where she lives?" Voldemort said, his teeth bared.

            "To the best of my knowledge, yes," James said promptly.  He folded his hands together in a steeple like formation.

            "Hmm…I'll send some of my death eaters there real soon," Voldemort murmured to himself.  "And if she's there, I'll release you."

            James's eyes widened and quickly said, "No, I told you where she is, release me now!"

            "Ah, but you could be lying," Voldemort smiled.

            "I'm not lying!" James exclaimed.  "You even put a truth potion on me!"

            "It's just an extra precaution," Voldemort added half-heartedly.

            James mentally cursed himself.  He was never going to get out this way.  Once Voldemort would reach his flat, he'd see that Lily didn't live there anymore and he'd be forced to another torture session.

            As if reading his mind, Voldemort said coolly, "And if you were lying, I won't torture you.  I'll do something more quick and clean."

            James's eyes widened.

***

            When Lily reached the flat on the fifth floor, she thought she was too late.  She was too panicked to absorb the familiar atmosphere.  But she needn't have worried, for when she reached the door she saw that the six Ministry members were blocked outside of the door.  She couldn't help but giggle at the posts Sirius Black and Remus Lupin were at.

            They were both seated in lawn chairs cool as could be.  Lily also noticed that two of the Ministry members were covered in saliva.

            "Hey Lily darling," Sirius said when he spotted her.

            "What's going on here?" Lily demanded.

            "They're trying to take James's stuff, but we're still convinced that he's alive," Remus replied.

            "What?  You think he's alive?  Do you have proof?" Lily asked all too quickly.  Her spirits rose, but they drastically fell too as Sirius said, "Of course we don't have proof he's alive!  We're basically just kinda hoping for the better, you know?  But we both think that it's way too early for him to be proclaimed dead."

            "So he may have been kidnapped and he hasn't been seen for two months, but what does that mean?" Remus said hysterically.  "Just put up a missing persons ad!  _But we shouldn't say he's dead just yet._"

            Lily couldn't resist a smile and hugged them both for a long time.

            "Well, you two look like you've been putting the Ministry members off for quite a while, so can you keep up the good job and let me inside?" Lily asked hopefully.

            "Why, certainly good lady," Sirius said in a gentleman-like manner.  He leaned back in his chair to the door and said, "You can let in the redhead."

            The door opened obediently, and Lily was allowed entry.

            She allowed the familiar scene to soak in.  The living room was getting a little dusty, but no one had been in it for quite a while to tidy it up.  Lily randomly picked up some items to examine them.  She did this throughout the whole flat right to her room in the back.  Lily hadn't noticed that her robes that she had bought at Diagon Alley when she had snuck out a while back was still in the closets.  They were starting to crease here and there, but Lily hardly cared.  

            It was just then that there were two distinct _pops!_ from the living room.  Lily wondered who had just apparated in and carefully and quietly edged down the hallway.

            "Potter said she lived here," one stranger said.  Lily dared to look and saw two people robed in back, hooded, and masked.  They were death eaters looking for Lily.  But what had shocked her was that they said 'Potter.'

            "It looks empty to me," the other person said in a deep voice.  "He was lying.  Absolute filth, that Potter.  I hope the Dark Lord tortures him bad tonight for his lying.  Come on, let's go."

            "She might be in another room though.  Come on, let's go.  You go search the kitchen.  I'll search the bedrooms."

            Lily started to breathe heavily.  She didn't know what to do.  If only she had James's cloak!  But she had snuck it out the day he was kidnapped, and to her surprise, he may just be alive.

            She wanted to call for help, but she knew she would be spotted right away.  She was in no state to hit and run;  Lily knew about the weight she was gaining.  Sweat started to trickle down her face as she heard one of the death eaters go her way.  Lily hurriedly walked into her bedroom into her bathroom and closed the door with a soft click that no one could hear.  She took out her wand and charmed the door to be locked.

            There was a tiny window in the bathroom, but she wouldn't be able to fit through it.  She doubted if even a small child could fit through it.  The only thing Lily had was her wand, and there was no way of escaping.  She decided all she could do was try to curse her way out.  She figured that they wouldn't try to hurt her since she was pregnant.  Then it dawned on her…

            _I'm pregnant.  I'm not allowed to apparate or disapparate, it's unhealthy.  I can't be cursed or harmed in any other way either, it's unhealthy!  Stupid death eaters, what are they playing at?_

            Lily started to hum loudly so that the death eaters could hear her.  Soon enough, she heard footsteps enter her bedroom.  To her shock, she jumped a little when the door knob to the bathroom rattled.  Lily got ready and stuck her wand in front of her.

            She heard a distinct voice say, "_Alohomora!_"

            And she was ready when the two death eaters were there, their wands pointing straight at her.  But Lily's wand was pointing straight at them too.  Lily guessed that they were just too shocked at her quick defense that they didn't do anything but let her stun them with a quick "_Stupefy!"_

            She stampeded to the hall outside to Sirius, Remus, and the Ministry members.  They were shocked to see her sweaty and tired.

            "Lily?  What happened?"

            "Death eaters," Lily said through pants.  "They're stunned—"

            Everyone dashed into the room and quickly found the two cloaked men.  Lily followed them and said, "But these death eaters, they're of no importance.  But James, he's still alive.  I heard them say so.  Where's Snape?  He can tell us where he is, we have to save them!"

            "Hear, hear," Remus chanted.

            "See, you official naïve people?  I told you that he's still alive," Sirius smirked.

***

            The sand in his sand glass was running low.  There were only a few grains of sand remaining.  Voldemort turned and bared his wrath on James.

            "Do you see that sand glass?  It's a sand glass for twenty-four hours.  My death eaters are still not back with Evans.  You filth, you liar, you cost me precious followers," Voldemort said angrily.  He whipped out his wand and pointed it at James.

            "No, no," James said.  He was now scared out of his wits, he knew what was coming.  He was shaking his head, sweat was trickling down…he had been foolish throughout his whole life.  But he had always been lucky, so how in the name hell did he get here?

            "Don't, please," he whimpered tirelessly.  "I didn't know this would happen, I thought that—"

            "Well you thought wrong, Potter," Voldemort sneered, spitting on the word 'Potter.'  Voldemort straightened up and tried to look majestic, but it didn't matter because James's attention was on Voldemort's wand.

            _So this is it.  Great, just great, Potter._

            And out of malnutrition, frailness, but most of all, fear—the one thing James had always denied himself of having—he fainted.  James had never pictured his death to be like this.

            "_Avada Kedavra!_" Voldemort shouted.

            The few grains left in the hourglass ran out.

***

**Author's Note**:  Now, you know the routine.  Review!

*IF YOU WANT TO KNOW IF HE'S DEAD, READ ON!* 

Don't worry, James isn't dead.  He dies later, we all know that, right?  


	8. Saving the Unfortunate Victim Part I

**Author's Note:**  ld-soul, did I say I was discontinuing my story?  Lol, don't worry, I'm not going to.  In my author's note for chapter 6, I didn't mean that I'm-desperate-for-reviews stuff.  I mean, I do like getting reviews, but I don't need them to live, you know?

            Sorry, it's been a long time since I updated.  If you read my bio, it says that I was very GRUMPY this week.  Oh, garg.  I've been saying garg a lot.

            I FOUND A FLAW IN MY STORY!  In chapter one, Lily escapes with floo powder, but isn't there a floo powder network that monitors every single fire place hooked up to the network?  So, this floo fireplace thingy is going to be different.  Let's see…it's, um, illegal.  Yes, that's what it is.  It's illegal, so the official network place can't monitor it.

            I'm in love with dialogue.  Okay, that's it.

**Disclaimer:**  I own absolutely nada except for Anette and the plot….and I think that's all in this chapter….

My Demon Child 

**Chapter Eight:**  Saving the Unfortunate Victim Part I

            It was his fear that saved him.  The saying "Everything happens for a reason," was truly real, especially in this case.  As James fainted, Voldemort's mind went haywire.  He said the infamous curse, but his wand was now pointing in thin air.  Sprawled on the ground was the motionless James Potter, but he wasn't dead.  Voldemort practically growled as he attempted to kill him again.

            But the door opened, and a death eater came running in, panting.

            "My lord, I don't know how, but something urgent—very urgent—came up—"

            "What is it?" he snarled.

            The death eater took off his mask to reveal himself as Rodolphus Lestrange.

            "My lord, we found Trelawny, Sybll Trelawny," he said definitely, but still panting and sweating.

            Voldemort's wand dropped.

            "_What_?" Voldemort gasped.  "Where?  When?  How?"

            "We have her in the torture chamber, my Lord," Lestrange said with glee.

            "Don't torture her just yet," Voldemort said under his breath.  "Move her to the Main Hall.  I'm going over to talk to her.  You, Lestrange, stay here and look after Potter."

            "Isn't he dead?"

            "No, fainted.  The pretty boy-coward.  Just watch him.  I will be back."

            "Yes, my Lord," Lestrange said.  He bowed as Voldemort left the room after picking up his wand.

            Lestrange surveyed James while circling him like a vulture.

            "Potter," he muttered.

            "Hmm?" James said quite unusually.  His eyes flickered, but he was conscious.

            "What happened?" James asked, supporting himself with his elbows.

            "You just fainted," Lestrange said bemusedly.

            "Did I?  Well, I'm awake now.  All better.  Oh crap, I'm here," James cried, disbelief and horror creeping over his expression.

            Lestrange laughed and took out his wand.  He pointed it at James and said, "Yeah, you're still here.  Don't move or it'll be hell to pay."

            _Yep, I'm still here,_ James though grimly.

***

            Everyone was talking excitedly.  Ten minutes ago this emergency Order meeting was called for at the Hogwarts staff room.  Everyone was cloaked heavily, but all very energetic.  At the newfound information of James Potter, everyone was keen on finding him.  They were all talking happily in chairs;  some were talking about the plan on how to rescue him, some were saying how they didn't have to pay for his funeral anymore, and some were just stupidly excited.

            "Only a select few should go and try to save him," Snape said to Dumbledore quietly.  "It'll be hard to just sneak in a few people as death eaters."

            "Of course," Dumbledore said, rubbing his temples.  "Should we say three people should go in, including yourself?"

            "Sounds good to me, Dumbledore.  But, there's no rush is saving him.  It isn't as if Potter has contributed anything to—"

            "And how about Frank and Alice Longbottom?  Excellent aurors," Dumbledore suggested, ignoring Snape.

            "Well, excellent aurors aren't exactly welcomed by death eaters," Snape said in his oily, greasy voice.  "As long as he can conceal himself well enough, I say, why not?  But, there is no real importance in rescuing—"

            "Hey, I think that we should go instead," came the voice of Sirius.

            Snape and Dumbledore looked up and saw Sirius and Remus looking at them with their arms folded.

            "And are you two any better than the Longbottom's?" Snape asked with a glare.

            "As if you wanted them to go," Remus snapped.  "If it was up to you, you would probably take Dung and Moody."

            "Hey, Moody's a good man," Sirius said automatically.

            "I know, but in You-Know-Who's place, he's going to be a big giveaway cause _everything _is going to make him panic."

            "Good point, mate."

            Snape continued to glare and act like the mother who wouldn't let her children play outside until they finished their homework.  So, Remus turned to Dumbledore, who was smiling, and asked, "Please, let us go.  He's our best friend."

            "Ah, so sorry, I completely forgot you two!  Forgive me.  Yes, I agree that Sirius and Remus would be the best people to go," Dumbledore said.  Snape gaped at him in anger.

            "So, I think three should be enough.  A bigger number would probably be too risky," continued Dumbledoe.

            Sirius beamed at Snape, and Snape looked the other way as if wanting to puke.

            "What's the plan?" Sirius asked.

            Dumbledore looked up at the clock on the wall since his watch wasn't actually a normal one.  He offhandedly replied, "Everything will be explained once the meeting has begun, which will be starting in a minute."

            Sirius nodded, and he and Remus went to sit down in the big semi circle everyone had formed.  They sat on either side of Lily whose hands were folded.  She looked very calm, but it was very unusual.  She looked as if she in some kind of trance, or was it just cause of the silence she was emitting?

             (**A/N**:  Sorry, but I don't know how an important meeting should be conducted, so um, I'm not really going to describe.  Oh, you'll see.)

            Dumbledore was in the front of the room when Fawkes the phoenix appeared.  The magnificent bird looked radiant with violent shades of red.  It landed on a perch, and Dumbledore began stroking it.  He looked at everyone, and everyone became silent.  The meeting began.

            Together, they formed a plan.  They were going to rescue James in the manner that Lily had been rescued except that they were going to bring an invisibility cloak along so James could sneak out in that.  Snape had conjured up three extra death eater robes;  two for his companions and one for James just in case.  Through everything, Lily had remained silent.  The meeting was very short, it was only about thirty minutes or so.  Towards the end of the meeting, Dumbledore put the mark on Sirius's and Remus's shoulders.

            When Remus saw his shoulder in the mirror, he cringed.  "Ah, doesn't this look beautiful?" he asked sarcastically.

            "You look horrible," Lily gritted.

            Remus turned around and faced Lily.

            "Are you okay?" Remus asked.

            Lily nodded and said, "Mmm.  Whatever you do, don't get caught."

            "I don't intend to," Remus grinned.  He patted her on the back and asked, "Why are you sad?  Just an hour ago you were all happy cause—"

            "Because James is alive," Lily interrupted.  "And I'm still happy about that.  But that, that—that horrible place.  When ever it's mentioned anywhere, I get all, oh I don't know.  I'm not making any sense, am I?"

            "It's okay."

***

            "Do you have any idea where he could be?" Sirius mumbled under his breath very quietly.

            "What did you say?" Snape said with an annoying tone in his voice.

            "You git, you can't hear very well, can you?" Sirius snapped.

            "Probably cause you're whispering," Snape said loudly.

            Sirius, Remus, and Snape were all cloaked;  Sirius and Remus were masked however.  They were walking down the long corridors of the abandoned, gigantic castle that was now inhabited by Voldemort and his death eaters.  It seemed totally empty, so whenever death eaters passed their way, Remus gave a weird, little jump.  The fifth time this happened, Snape stepped on his foot, squashing Remus's big toe.

            "Listen, this isn't a haunted morgue.  You can talk out loud," Snape casually sniggered.

            "Then why aren't the other people talking?" Remus gritted.

            "Cause they're big losers with no lives," Sirius laughed.

            Two passing death eaters stopped at those words and stared at Sirius with suspicion.  The two death eaters changed their path and followed the three men.

            "Who are these two, Snape?" one of the cloaked people asked;  the voice was feminine.

            "New comers," Snape replied quickly without facing them.

            "Ah, novices," the same death eater cackled.  She faced Remus and peered into his eyes, although she couldn't see his face.  She asked with vigor, "How many have you killed?"

            "Um, ninety-three," Remys blurted out.

            "Impressive," she said without sounding impressed at all.  She asked, "How long have you been on our side?"

            "Oh, a while," Remus's voice quivered.

            "What's your name?" she continued to inquire.

            "Must you interrogate him?" Snape asked angrily.

            "That's a weird one," the woman said, as if she were breeding dogs.

            "You just noticed?" Snape said.  To brush her and her partner away, he said, "Listen, we're going to the Dark Lord right now, so you might not want to tag along."

            For the first time in the conversation, the woman death eater's partner—a man—said in a gruff voice, "The Dark Lord isn't in his office right now.  Surely you would've known that?"

            "Where is he then?" Snape asked as he stopped abruptly.  This caused Remus to slam into a wall.

            "Haven't you heard?" the woman said with glee.

            "It's that Trelawney girl.  Somehow, someone caught her and the Dark Lord's been trying to get some information out of her, you know, pertaining to that one prophecy—"

            "Really?" Sirius asked.  His voice was somewhat higher than usual.

            "That's why the corridors are more empty than usual," the second death eater said, "cause everyone's watching the Dark Lord and Trelawney."

            "We were on our way there, right Macnair?" the woman continued.  She turned to Severus and said, "You should be going there, too, if you're looking for the Dark Lord."

            Snape tried to do some quick thinking, but he couldn't think of anything but to follow them and try to lose them in the crowd.

            "What room are the Dark Lord and Trelawney in?" Sirius asked in his weird voice.

            "Interestingly, they're in the Main Hall," Macnair said dully, "so that's why everyone's been watching, cause everyone can fit in the Main Hall.  You three coming?"

            "First, um, we have to go and—"  Snape started, but no explanation followed his stuttering.

            "We have to go to the bathroom," Remus finished uneasily.

            This time, the woman death eater gave a weird, dirty look at Remus.  She whispered under her breath, "Novice."

            So the woman and Macnair left leaving a perspiring Remus, enraged Snape, and laughing Sirius.  Nevertheless, they continued their path.

            "I can't believe they caught Trelawney," Snape said out loud.

            "Do we have to rescue her, too, now?" Remus asked.

            "Dumbledore will have good uses for her," Snape remarked.

            "But first, we need to get Prongs," Sirius pointed out.  He turned to Snape and asked, "So, any ideas where he might be?"

            "I didn't even know he was still alive, so how should I bloody know where he is?" Snape spat.

            "Snape, be more careful what you say out loud in here!" Remus exclaimed in a whisper.  "You should know that of all people!"

            Snape looked completely irritated and chortled, "Didn't you hear what Nott and Macnair said?  Everyone's crowded in the Main Hall.  This gives us the advantage to find Potter.  Black, do you have that godforsaken cloak?"

            "Of course."

            "Give it to Lupin.  If there's another death eater on the way and they question him, they're gong to think him weird too," Snape muttered.

            "Hey!  So what, I don't work good under pressure!  That's my only weakness," Remus said with pride.

            "Well in a place like this, you need to be able to work under pressure," Snape verbally fought back.

            "Yes, and you've mastered working under pressure beautifully," Remus snapped.  "I'm okay.  Don't worry about me."

            "Whoever said I was worried about you?  I'm worried about myself," Snape said.

            "You're a big charity donator, aren't you?" Sirius said while folding his arms.

            "Do you two have any ideas where Potter could be?" Snape hastily changed the subject.

            Sirius and Remus continued to glare at him, but they decided that they weren't going to make any progress this way and decided to beat him up later.  They decided to give a mental truce.

            "Well, Dumbledore suggested any torture rooms, You-Know-Who's main room, or Lily's old room," Remus replied while ticking the rooms off his fingers.

            "They don't keep prisoners in the torture room and I don't have any idea on how to sneak into the Dark Lord's inner room, so we should try to find Evans's old room," Snape said greasily.

            "You remember where it is, right?" Sirius asked.

            "Erm, I think so."

***

            All the Order members had already evacuated the Hogwarts staffroom, as the meeting had ended hours ago.  However, Lily was still sitting all alone.  It was dinner time, and everyone was eating in the Great Hall.  Professor Dumbledore had worried about her, but decided that she just needed to be alone for a while.

            She opened the door and exited the room, intending to go back to her room.

            She began to wonder what would happen once James was back.  Was she going to stay with him?  Or was James going to have to stay with another auror now, like Lily herself had to?  But James couldn't be in that much trouble.  However, Lily continued to think that for the rest of her life she was going to be in Dumbledore's custody.

            Then a thought formed in her head…

            _What if they found out about Petunia?_

_            **What's wrong with your sister?**_

****

****_They'd make me stay with her and be in _her _custody.  Can you talk about a nightmare?_

_            **Now, now, she's not that ugly.  Sure, she resembles a horse but—**_

****

****_But she hates me!  I wonder if she's living a happy life with her husband…what was his name?  It was something like Bernie Curry, or something like that.  No, it was Vernie Durry.  My, what a strange name._

            As Lily was thinking to herself, she bumped into something.  She fell down with her head throbbing and was about to curse whatever she had bumped into a billion smithereens, but she saw it was just Anette.

            Anette, too, was on the floor groaning with pain.

            "Oh, I'm so sorry Anette, are you all right?" Lily asked.  She stood up and pulled Anette on her feet.

            Anette massaged her scalp her replied, "Yeah, I'm okay.  You?"

            "As soon as this pounding in my brain will go away, I think I'll be back to normal," Lily nervously laughed.

            "How come you're not eating dinner?" Lily asked.

            "I finished early.  How come you weren't at dinner?" Anette asked.

            "I never eat in that wretched hall," Lily teased.

            Anette nodded to show she understood, but she looked at Lily weirdly.

            "Where do you eat then?" Anette asked.

            "Mostly in my room," Lily shrugged.

            They continued to stand in silence.  It was unnerving, but both thought it would be rude if they left, so they remained standing.  After a while, they somehow got into a staring contest.  After a painful minute of dry eyes, Lily blinked and Anette laughed at her.

            "Ha!  I win!" Anette exclaimed.

            "I got beat by a teenager," Lily groaned.

            "You have to help me with my charms homework now," Anette said triumphantly.

            "Ooh!  Charms is fun!" Lily said with relish.

            "You are the biggest dork I know," Anette laughed.

            "Well, you're the biggest—you're the biggest—oh never mind, you're not even big.  You're the smallest person I've ever seen," Lily pouted.

            "Shut up."

            "I will.  Now, where's your homework?" Lily asked.

            "You're eager to do homework?"

            "Trust me, it's better than what I was doing before."

***

            "I am officially bored with aching feet," Remus groaned.

            Sirius laughed and added, "I know, whoever thought anyone could be bored in a place like this?"

            "An abandoned castle?"

            "That's been taken over by the creepiest guy of all time."

            "You two, shut up!" Snape yelled.  His shout echoed in the corridor.

            "You both are ruining my concentration.  If her room isn't on the seventh floor, it should be on the next floor.  So, that means, we have to go downstairs again."

            Sirius cracked his knuckles menacingly.

            "This time, I am completely positive," Snape said in such a defiant voice that both Sirius and Remus believed him.

            So, Snape led them toward a spiraling staircase and said, "Dumbledore will really want Trelawney out of here, too.  Once we're on the next floor, I'll give you instructions on how to get to the room, and I'll head down to the Main Hall and try to figure out a way to get Trelawney out.  I don't know how you two can get Potter's door open, but just open it."

            Twenty minutes later, they were all on the sixth floor and Snape had given them descriptive directions, and he had just left.

            "You know, Snape's a lot smarter and braver than I thought," Remus said offhandedly.

            "Yeah, but he's still a slimy git," Sirius laughed.

            "Well, of course."

***

            "I am officially bored with an aching head.  Whoever thought anyone could be bored in a place like this?" James asked himself out loud in his room.  He was lying on his back on his bed in his confinement room.  He outstretched his hands towards the ceiling, and as if pleading to God or to any other higher Deity, he screamed, "GET ME OUT OF HERE!"

            Nobody heard his screams.

***

            "Maybe you're doing bad at charms because, well, you're not exactly trying, are you?" Lily asked to Anette, who was sprawled on the couch by the Gryffindor common room fire.  When Lily arrived in the common room, it took her about thirty minutes to examine everything while saying things like, "Wow!  I remember everything!"

            "What do you mean?  I'm trying very hard," Anette said lazily while twirling her wand in her hands.

            Lily groaned and jerked the wand from Anette.  She gave a stern look and handed her wand back to her and said, "Try again.  And this time, _try_."

            "Okay, okay," Anette said offhandedly.  She grasped her wand and opened her mouth.  However, her mouth remained open, and she had to ask, "What was the incantation again?"

            Lily dropped her head in her hands and through her muffled voice, she said, "It's scourgify."

            "Oh, right!" Anette said cheerfully.  Lily refused to look at Anette's handy work.

            "Okay, here goes," Anette said.  She cleared her throat and said, "_Scourgify!_"

            Lily didn't see anything, so she wasn't sure if Anette was able to manage the spell.  However, when Anette shouted, "I did it!"  Lily jerked her head up and smiled.

            "Are you serious?"  Lily exclaimed.  "What did you make disappear?"

            "Oh, some old piece of parchment."

            "Oh, as long as it wasn't anything important," Lily happily cried out.

            Anette nodded in agreement and suggested, "I should start on my potion worksheet now.  Once that's over with, I can spend the whole night perfecting on my charms."

            Lily agreed.

            Anette went to pick up her potions homework, but her face expression suddenly fell, and she muttered, "I made my potion homework disappear."

***

            "Any ideas?" Sirius whispered toward Remus.

            Sirius and Remus were crouched behind a wall looking at three death eaters by Lily's old room door.  They looked like they were guarding the room, so Sirius and Remus would have no luck trying to break into the room with the death eater guards.

            "None whatsoever," Remus replied.

            "We could pretend that their shift is over, and it's our turn to guard," Sirius said.

            "Do death eaters work in shifts?" Remus questioned.

            Sirius shrugged.  He tugged at Remus's shoulder and complained, "Come on, it'll work.  Trust me."

            Sirius stood up and was about to walk towards the death eaters when Remus pulled at the back of his robes and pulled him back.  Sirius looked confused, and Remus lectured in a harsh whispery voice, "Padfoot you prat!  This is different from pulling pranks!  If we get caught, we're not going to get detention, we're gong to get torture and death and humiliation and agony and sorrow and—"

            "We're in a gloomy place already, don't let your tone match with it," Sirius sighed.

            "My point is, you can't just go out there with rash decisions!  We need a good, solid, firm plan that—"

            "Oy, you two, what are you doing?" a strange voice asked.   Remus and Sirius turned around and came face to face with the one of the death eater guards.  The guards were masked as well.

            Remus was terrified, but Sirius just smiled (although no one could see through his mask) and said in a charming voice, "Why, hello there mate!  Lovely, er, day, today…"

            "Pull your mask up," the death eater ordered.

            "Erm, I rather not," Sirius stammered, "cause I got the bad case of the chicken pox."

            "The chicken pox?  Then what are you down here?  That stuff's contagious!"  he exclaimed.

            "Yeah, so you better back away," Remus said, his mind calming down.

            The real death eater turned to Remus and asked, "Who're you?  Pull your mask up!"

            "Why don't you pull your mask up?" Remus asked, his mind racing with excuses to not pull his mask up.

            To his horror, the death eater pulled his mask up and revealed a man with graying hair, tiny eyes, and many chins.  His nose and teeth were crooked, and wrinkles were visible around his eyes.

            "Your turn," the ugly death eater grinned evilly.  "You have the chicken pox, too?"

            Remus blurted out, "My appearance is going to be a little, um, different.  Yeah, a co-worker of mine put polyjuice potion in my coffee just before I got here, so, um, I look different."

            Remus pulled his mask up and quickly put I back on so the death eater could only catch a dim glimpse of him.

            "What's your names?" the death eater asked them.

            "Oh, uh—"

            They did know some real death eater names, but they were to nervous to name any of them, so they just mulled around sounds hoping that it would sound familiar to this guy, who amazingly was very stupid and wasn't that suspicious about Sirius and Remus.

            "I'm Mu—, um, Mulciber," Sirius stuttered, hoping that sounded right.

            "Haha!" the ugly man cried.  He slapped Sirius on the shoulder and said, "Mulciber!  You're acting weird today, guess it's cause of your chicken pox though, no doubt.  Perhaps you just recently tortured a muggle with the damn illness?"

            "Mmm, yeah, sure," Sirius grimaced.

            "And you?" the death eater asked Remus.  Remus said the first death eater name that popped into his head—

            "Snape."

            Mulciber did not sound happy at that name.  Instead, he gave him a look of fear and said, "Oh, hello Mr. Snape, how do you do?"

            Remus and Sirius exchanged glances, and Remus nervously replied, "Yeah, I'm fine."

            "Hey, listen up, it's our turn to guard the door now, so you three can just go on," Sirius continued.

            The man raised his eyebrow and put his mask back on.  He fastened it and made sure it was secured.  He then said, "I don't know what you're talking about.  We just got on our shift ten minutes ago."

            "The Dark Lord, uh," Sirius started.  He was horrible at impromptu—"specifically asked that we guard the door right now."

            "Oh, well, if it's on the Dark Lord's orders," the death eater said, his voice rising, "then I guess we'll have to go.  Real weird though, why would he want you two to guard the door?"

            "Oh, you know, cause, um, Snape here is really powerful and stuff, yeah…"

            "We'll be off then," the strange man said, and he signaled the others to leave with him down the corridor.  When one of the guards passed Remus, he said, "You three should go to the Main Hall.  The Dark Lord's got Trelawney."

            "You don't say?  Well, I hope the Dark Lord gets information through her and kill that awful Mudblood once and for all.  Why do these stupid Mudbloods have to ruin out lives?" the death eater cackled.  And with that, the three strangers left down the corridor.

            "When did muggle borns ruin _their _lives?" Remus asked with disgust.  "Aren't _they _the ones killing and torturing?"

            Sirius agreed and said hurriedly, "Quick, open the door."

            "It won't open," Remus grunted while pulling the handle.

            "There's probably spells on it," Sirius groaned.

            "And I'm betting it'll take more than an alohomora charm to open it," Remus sighed, "and I'm also doubting that James could open it from the other side."

            "Then let's say alohomoroa two times!" Sirius suggested.  Of course, it didn't work.

***

            After Lily conjured back Anette's potion homework, and Anette had finished all of her homework, Lily decided to stay for a while although incoming students from Gryffindor were giving Lily confused expressions.  Their conversation eventually came around to boys.

            "How many boyfriends have you had, Lily?" Anette asked curiously.  She was setting up a game of wizard chess.  They began to play, and immediately, Anette had killed Lily's bishop.

            "Not that many," Lily said matter of factly.  She ticked the names off her fingers, "There was Mark Lansky, Kevin Smith, Gordie Millie, then there was James, and…there used to be Amos…"

            "Whose Amos?"  Anette asked curiously.

            "Oh, no one of importance," Lily lied.

            "What kind of name is Amos?  What was his last name?"

            "Oh, Diggory," Lily said quietly.  She didn't feel like telling Anette her whole life story just then and there, so she decided to be casual when talking about Amos and not changing the subject.

            "As long as you're not with him anymore.  I mean, Lily Diggory?  Kind of rhymes, doesn't it?  Then let's see Lily Lansky?  Unless you're going for the alliteration, I'd say no.  Then the last name 'Smith' is really common.   Ugh, and Lily Millie is worse!  But Lily Potter—"

            "Hey, I'm not opposing to Lily Potter, but it'll never happen," Lily laughed.

            "Why not?" Anette asked with curiosity.

            "Because that was ages ago, and James isn't my type.  He's like my father, he's really protective and—"

            "So he cares for you!" Anette exclaimed.  "And some say that children should marry people like their parents, I read that in a muggle article somewhere.  Besides, he's cute, smart—I heard he was Head Boy—and really witty.  He was a prankster, wasn't he?  Wait, hold on….never mind…I'm so stupid…"

            "What are you talking about?" Lily asked.

            Anette shook her head and said in a tiny voice, "I forgot he, he, well, you know, he died—"

            "Oh, Anette, no, he's not dead," Lily smiled.  She wasn't sure if she was allowed to say this just yet, but she continued, "He's not dead.  He's been found."

            "What?" Anette shrieked.  Without paying attention, she let Lily kill he queen.

            "I know, it's wonderful, isn't it?"

            "What?" Anette repeated.  "Lily, he's not dead?"

            "Nope."

            "Oh my god, oh my god!  Lily, you realize what this means, right?"

            "Erm, not really," Lily said uneasily.

            "YOU SHOULD MARRY HIM!" Anette screamed.  The whole common room stopped talking and stared at her.

            Lily nervously laughed and said, "Check mate.  I should go now.  I'm not a Gryffindor anymore, so I shouldn't be here."

            And with that, Lily left the common room.

***

            "Maybe's there's a password to open the door," Remus suggested.

            He and Sirius were still standing dumbfounded at the door.  Both were convinced that James was inside, but no matter what the did, the door would not budge.

            "What do we do then?  Just say out random words?" Sirius asked.  Sirius faced the door and said, "Voldemort!  Death eaters!  Pureblood!  Dark mark!  This is stupid!"

            Amazingly, the door opened.  

**Author's note**:  Okay.  You know what to do.  Grade me on moi's writing, and…review!


	9. Saving the Unfortunate Victim Part II

**Author's Note**:  I'm so sorry!  I had writer's block!  And I know it's been forever since I've updated and I have such a boring chapter here cause I still have writer's block.  I get really annoyed with authors like me right now, and I am SO SORRY!  Um, if you don't rant on about how annoying I am, I promise, that um, you will get um, a mansion when I get rich and famous, okay?

To Wo Ai Ni16, haha…is the baby Harry?  Hmm…you'll find out soon…hehe…

**Disclaimer**:  I wish I owned Harry Potter, I really do, but it belongs to J.K. Rowling.  What do I own?  Anette and the plot, but Anette doesn't appear in this chapter.

My Demon Child 

**Chapter Nine:**  Saving the Unfortunate Victim Part II (actually, there's no actual saving in this chapter)

Previously on My Demon Child… 

"Maybe's there's a password to open the door," Remus suggested.

            He and Sirius were still standing dumbfounded at the door.  Both were convinced that James was inside, but no matter what they did, the door would not budge.

            "What do we do then?  Just say out random words?" Sirius asked.  Sirius faced the door and said, "Voldemort!  Death eaters!  Pureblood!  Dark mark!  This is stupid!"

            Amazingly, the door opened.

***

            "What in Merlin did I just say?" Sirius asked.

            "You said 'stupid', I think," Remus answered.

            "That was the password?" Sirius asked skeptically.

            "Maybe it was on of the other words you said-"

            "Oh great.  Now what do you want?" asked an all too familiar voice.  At that instant, Sirius and Remus grinned.

            Sirius pulled his mask off and said, "Tsk, tsk, Prongs.  That's no way to thank your rescuers."

            James looked in shock at his best friends.  Remus, too, had pulled off his mask and was grinning ear to ear.  He hadn't seen his friends in over two months, and magically here they were grinning in their childish way as if sneaking under Voldemort's nose was just another school prank.

            However, after a moment, Sirius and Remus stopped smiling.  They saw the state that James was in, and he looked terrible.  He was never fat, but now he was so thin.  His clothes were tattered, and scratches were all over his body.  His hair was more ruffled than usual, and that was saying something.  Miraculously, his glasses were still okay, although there was a tiny crack in one of the lenses.

            "I know, I look like hell," James laughed.

            "No, no you don't," Remus started uneasily.  However, he couldn't find one compliment in his appearance, so he said, "You don't look that bad.  Blimey, what did they do to you?"

            Sirius shut the door behind him, and they sat on either side of James, eager to listen.

            "Oh, you know, couple of curses now and then.  They didn't do anything serious," James lied.

            "You have too much pride.  We'll find out what he did to you once we're back at Hogwarts," Remus started, "but first, we have to get out of here."

            "How?" James asked.

            "First, we need Snape back.  At first, we were just going to have you sneak out through the floo fireplace with an invisibility cloak, but it turns out that, well, You-Know-Who, got Trelawney.  So now Snape wants to rescue her too," Sirius explained.

            "Yeah, he reckons Dumbledore might have uses for her," Remus continued, "which he's probably right.  Cause, I mean, she might know if that prediction about Lily is true or not."

            "How is Lily?" James automatically asked.

            Remus scratched his head and replied, "Well, at first she was all sad and stuff cause we thought you were dead.  Then she was happy when we found out you were alive.  Then she became sad again because of something I don't know.  She said whenever this place is mentioned, she gets all sad and stuff. I don't know.  I guess it's just her past haunting her."

            "I bet Diggory's been helping her sulk over my supposed death," James said bitterly.

            Sirius grinned and asked, "Why such a cold heart toward Diggory?"

            "Listen, let's just get out of here first," James quickly snapped, "and then we can talk all we want."

            "I suppose, but we don't know when Snape's coming back," Remus said.

            "Come on Moony, we should go outside and pretend we're guarding or something like that," Sirius said miserably.  He pulled out the invisibility cloak and threw it to James.

            "This isn't my cloak," James exclaimed.

            "That doesn't matter right now.  We'll find it when we get back.  Just take it just in case you have to hide or anything," Sirius said.

            James shrugged and hid it in his bed.

            "Snape should be back soon, he's been out for a while," Remus pointed out.  "So we'll just be outside."

            "Oh, by the way, do you know what the password to the door is?" Sirius asked, grinning.

            "I think it's 'dark'," James replied.

            Sirius snapped his finger in a boyish way and said in a kiddish voice, "Aw shucks, so it isn't the phrase 'this is stupid.'"

            James raised his eyebrow, and Remus laughed.  Remus said, "We'll explain everything later.  We have a lot to catch up on."

            "That's for sure."

            Sirius and Remus decided that until Snape came back, they should go out and pretend that they were guarding James's room in case any should be suspicious. Sirius and Remus were getting tired now as they hadn't eaten or slept in hours.  Sirius gave a big yawn, and as yawns are contagious, Remus followed suit.

            "I'm getting tired," Remus said heavily.

            "Oh no, everyone's coming back," Sirius observed.

            "What are you talking about?" Remus asked.  He opened his heavy eyes and saw that cloaked figures were now walking the halls talking in deadly whispers and laughing with malice.  Remus quickly stood up and became wide awake.

            "Snape should be coming soon, then," Remus thought aloud.

            And as if on cue, Snape came walking up to them and sneered, "Had fun?"

            "Sure," Sirius said quaintly.

            "Did you two figure out how to get in?" Snape asked bluntly.

            "Yep," Remus replied happily, "and have you figured out how to rescue Trelawney?"

            "Not really.  They're putting tight security on her.  The Dark Lord himself is guarding her.  He must be getting very worried.  I found out she's staying in some kind of chamber connected to the Dark Lord's inner room, and the only way to enter is with permission by the Dark Lord and you need to say the password in parsletongue," Snape explained in a grim voice.

            Remus stroked his chin and concluded, "That sounds a _tad_ difficult."

            "Should we get James back first, and then come back for Trelawney?" Sirius asked.

            "Well, it's going to take more than three or four people to rescue her with all the security she has.  We should at least inform Dumbledore first," Snape whispered.  "The Dark Lord hasn't resulted in torture yet, it might damage her skill to See.  But he's losing patience.  All she does is predict everyone's death."

            Sirius folded his arms and said in a weird voice, "Just out of curiosity, why do you call Voldemort 'the Dark Lord'?"

            "Since when have you called him his real name?" Remus asked with shock.

            "Just now.  I've been thinking about it.  Dumbledore's not afraid to say his name, and what's the worse a name can do?  Sure it gives me the creeps, but maybe saying his name is the best thing we could do right now, and not give him that kind of authority over our emotions."

            "Who are you, and what have you done to Sirius Black?" Remus asked.

            "Stop being a prat.  Never mind I even asked Snivellus-"

            "You dare to call me that again-"  Snape began to threat, reaching for his wand.

            "Can't you curse him some other time?  What are we gong to do about James and Trelawney?" Remus asked skeptically.

            Within a few minutes, the three men agreed that they would sneak James out, and tell Dumbledore about Trelawney.  From there, they would attempt to get Trelawney out.  Snape took Sirius's guarding post so Sirius could sneak into James's room and tell of the plan.

            "I want to rescue Trelawney too, so I should stay here," James said stubbornly when Sirius explained everything.

            "You're in no condition to do that Prongs.  Now once the death eaters are back to whatever they do, then we'll sneak you out-"

            "But I know this castle pretty well, wouldn't I be useful in any way?" James pleaded.

            "Snivelllus knows this place pretty well, too.  Prongs, look at you!  You're not very, erm, healthy," Sirius said.  It pained him to say no to his best friend who had been tortured for months, but he had James's best interest at heart.

            After a moment's pause, James suggested, "Okay, you can get me out, then we'll ask Dumbledore what he thinks is best."

            "Okay.  Agreed."

            The door opened, and Remus poked his head in the room and hissed, "There is absolutely no one out in the corridor.  If we're going to get you out James, it should be now."

***

            Lily clutched her robes tighter around her and looked at her surroundings.  The healer was in the corner of the room filling out some parchment while Lily waited for the results of her check up.

            The previous week Dumbledore had made an appointment at St. Mungo's for Lily.  Lily had totally forgotten about prenatal care and regular check-ups, so she had been very surprised when she was reminded that she was actually pregnant.

            The healer, a woman, was middle-aged and quite fat.  Her hair was short and curly and bounced whenever she walked.  Her spectacles were rather annoying because they were so thick and retro styled, but her personality was kind enough.

            "Well, Lily, in your condition we can't really tell if everything for you is all right and normal.  However, I think your pregnancy is going on fine enough.  There's more activity from the embryo than is usual, but I think that is to be expected," the healer explained.  Lily nodded.

            "Sometimes, I can feel it move," Lily said.

            "Well, as the embryo starts to develop into a fetus and then into a baby, I think that you should expect more activity going on," the healer kindly said and continued, "However, there is just one minor thing I am a little concerned about.  Your blood pressure is quite high.  Have you been stressed about anything lately?"

            Lily thought back to the previous months.  Yes, she had been stressed.  Amos had broken off their engagement.  James was deemed dead but now Sirius and Remus were on a rescue mission to get him back.  She was sick and tired of having sudden pains in her stomach.  She wasn't very fond of her room in Hogwarts.

            "Oh, just a little stressed," Lily smiled.

            "Well, you ought to get more rest then.  Right now, high blood pressure isn't very dangerous but later on it could be unhealthy for the baby.  So, I want you to rest more, ok?"

            "All right then," Lily said weakly.  She stood up and asked, "Is that all then?"

            "Yes, it is.  You should make another appointment with the clerk downstairs.  Next month we can get an ultrasound for you so we can see the baby," the healer said excitedly.

            Lily smiled and left the room.

***

"I'm out of that mess now," James said happily as he walked onto Hogwarts grounds.

            James, Sirius, Remus, and Severus arrived in Dumbledore's office tired, but satisfied with their job.  Professor Dumbledore wasn't in his office apparently, so the four men decided to sit in some chairs and wait.

            "What time is it?" James yawned.

            Remus looked for a clock and said, "It's eleven in the morning!  Blimey, we were out for a long time."

            The door opened, and Dumbledore walked in looking a little stressed, but happy all the same to see James's safe arrival.

            "Why, hello James," he smiled.  Dumbledore, too, took a seat at his desk.

            "Welcome, welcome!  Everyone will be excited to see you!  I trust that everything went as planned?" Dumbledore asked.

            "Actually, Albus, Sybill Trelawney has been caught," Sirius replied.

            "Indeed?" Dumbledore said mildly surprised.

            "Shouldn't we go back and rescue her?" James asked boldly.

            Dumbledore raised his spectacles and said, "Yes, it would be prudent.  Do you know where she is kept within Voldemort's quarters?"

            "She has high security, the Dark Lord himself is guarding her," Snape supplied the answer.

            "But maybe when he finds out I'm missing, he'll stop guarding her and chase after me!" James exclaimed.

            "You're not coming to get her," Snape gritted.

            "Why?  Couldn't I be used as bait?" James whined.

            "You could get caught, you could get killed, Prongs!" Remus said, horrified.

            "All of you could get caught or killed too!" James exclaimed.

            "You're in no state to do anything, Potter," Snape sneered.  "Perhaps you should just go to a hospital.  Since you're so weak."

            James glared at him.  He couldn't think of any words to say to that "ugly, slimy, big nosed git."

            "Boys, it's high time you all mature and learn to cooperate," Dumbledore thundered.

            Everyone started to feel ashamed.  They were all thinking the same thoughts-if we were going to argue, we should wait until Dumbledore is out of ear shot.

            Dumbledore turned to each of the men in turn and ordered, "Severus, you will come with me and we will try to think of some kind of plan.  Sirius, you will try to get more people from the Order to help us.  Remus, you will accompany James to St. Mungo's and report back here and help Sirius."

            "I have to go to St. Mungo's hospital?" James shrieked.  "Why?  I could help!"

            "James, you are going to help, but first I need you to recover your strength. Now go."

            James was fuming, but Remus managed to drag him to Dumbledore's fireplace so they could travel by floo powder.

            "James, stop being so stubborn," Remus grinned, "didn't you hear Dumbledore?  You'll help later, but now you need to recover.  You want to go first, or shall I?"

            James pursed his lips, but he grabbed some floo powder and sprung it into the fire.  He called out, "St. Mungo's hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries!"  He stepped in and disappeared.

***

            "Hello, I have James Potter here just rescued from You-Know-Who and is in poor health and needs to recover.  Where should I take him?" Remus said very quickly.

            The Welcome Witch, a witch who looked unwelcoming with a raspy voice, arched her eyebrows.  She looked behind Remus and saw James dressed in black, but his clothes were all tattered.

            "Well, if all he's doing is recovering, there isn't really a place for him.  Take him to the second floor.  I'll have a healer come take him," the witch said uneasily.  "Next!"

            Remus pulled on James's arm and dragged him up the stairs.  James's arms were folded and his facial expression was as hard as stone.  He looked like a grown man with the spirit of a toddler.

***

            Lily walked down the hall to a nearby staircase.  She had to go make an appointment for her next check up, and she had been walking aimlessly for a long time trying to find out how to get downstairs.  She was on the second floor, and the healer in the maternity ward and told her that the clerk was on the first floor.

            She turned around and decided to ask for help, despite her pride.  However, she saw someone that she did not expect to see at that moment.

            "Amos?  What are you doing here?" Lily asked, completely shocked.

            "Lily?  Oh, you're here," Amos said, his voice faltering.

            "What are you doing here?" Lily asked.

            Amos paused for a while before answering slowly and carefully.

"Oh, I'm going up to the fourth floor.  My-um-brother has spell damage and-"

            "Amos?" Lily said defiantly.

            "Yes?"

            "You're an only child."

            Amos remained silent.  His thumbs were jerking this way and that, he was bouncing on his toes, and the ring on his finger was oh so noticeable.

            "Well, erm, enough about me," Amos said with a lopsided grin.  "But what are you doing here?"

            "Check up on Voldemort Junior," Lily slyly grinned.  "I guess I should be going now."

            "Yeah.  I'll see you later then.  Take care."

            "You too.  Oh!  By the way, do you know where the staircase to downstairs is?"

            Amos looked like he was trying to keep a straight face but had the courtesy to reply in a normal voice.  "You just passed it.  It's a little down there, but if you keep your eyes open you'll see it."

            "Thank you.  Well, bye then."

            Lily turned around and began to walk.  Healers were scrambling from door to door, and other patients were making their way into their respective wards.  Some looked gruesome, and some were vanishing before Lily's eyes.

            Right away, she saw the descending steps and made her way over.  And once again, she saw someone she did not expect.

            "Oh my god, James?" she whispered.

            "Hey, Lily, you're okay?" James weakly smiled.

            Lily ran down the stairs and kissed him on the cheek.  She embraced him, and she felt tears coming to her eyes.

            She stood back and looked at James.  He was smiling, but he was in a horrible state.  Lily felt so sorry for him, but she was so glad that he was okay.

            James pulled her in for another hug.

***

            Dumbledore and Snape were peering over parchments with scribbles and ideas on how to get Trelawney out.  They had called some Order members to help them, but they couldn't figure anything out.

            Ransom was out, because Dumbledore and Snape agreed that Voldemort could care less if one of his supporters were killed.

            Going undercover was out because they would need someone who could speak parsletongue, and someone who could impersonate someone of a high rank so they could be allowed admittance into Voldemort's inner room and chamber.

            Using James as bait was out, that was too risky.

            Luring was out, because that was too risky.

            Snape rubbed his eyes and yawned.

            "Perhaps I and some others can sneak in during a raid night.  About half the death eaters will be gone that night," Snape said.

            "Will Voldemort go with the raiders?" Dumbledore inquired.

            "He usually goes, but he might stay at his quarters this time because he needs to guard Sybll.  The raid is being planned for Bristol in a couple of days."

            Dumbledore put his hands together and slowly said, "Count that as a possibility then, Severus."

*******

**Author's Note**:  I'm not really proud of this chapter.  I thought it was poorly written, but I thought that it was about time I updated.  I'm so sorry!


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